The Exchange
by Anibelli
Summary: Marinette is hard at work at Busy Beans Coffee Shop when she gets an odd phone call from Slice Guy's Pizzeria. They want to make a trade, food for coffee. The man on the other end has a nice voice, and an even nicer appearance. How could she possibly pass this opportunity up?
1. A Strange Call

The phone was ringing during rush hour.

"Marinette!" Nino called loudly from the register. "Can you grab that?"

"Sure thing," she dodged her coworker as he grabbed a newly filled to-go cup. The customer smiled as they grabbed the cup with a "thank you" before leaving the line.

"Busy Beans Cafe, how may I assist you?" Marinette asked the phone.

A smooth male voice came from the other end.

"Hey, this is Slice Guy's Pizzeria? You know, that place three blocks down the street?"

Marinette opened and closed her mouth. She answered, "Yeah, I know the place…"

"Great! Do you think we can make a trade? We need five different drinks, but since it's getting close to lunchtime, my coworkers thought it'd be a good idea to trade. We'll give you… actually, how many people are working right now?"

Marinette blinked, not sure how to answer this stream of information. "Uhh, there's four people working right now?"

"Okay… Hey, Alix? How much food for four people?" Marinette could hear a muffled answer from the other line. "Alright, how does a large pepperoni with an order garlic knots sound?" The voice sounded excited.

"Uhh, no pepperoni. Nino hates it. Make it sausage?"

"Sounds good!"

"What drinks do you want?" Marinette asked, grabbing a pen and paper.

"Okay, Ivan wants a…"

By the time Marinette finished making all the drinks for the Slice Guy's workers, rush hour had slowed, and Nino was about to go on his lunch break.

"Nino, hold up. Lunch is on me today. I'll be back in ten minutes with lunch, okay?"

Nino narrowed his eyes for a minute before nodding and turning back to the customers, the typical soft smile he used for customers coming back.

Marinette took off her apron and grabbed her coat, heading out into the chilly air. The gray clouds covered the sun, something she really wished would come out right about now. The northern wind, forced down the narrow Parisian streets, nipped through her long coat. Cars zipped by quickly, blowing the smell of gasoline her way. A person bumped her shoulder, tipping her towards the street. She quickly righted herself, correcting the drinks before they crashed into the passing car.

She continued on her path, heading toward the intersection where the Slice Guy employee said they would meet.

Her coat caught in the wind, flowing behind her in a way she knew would have Alya screaming "aesthetic!" Her pigtails were tied in their typical red ties, and her black top was tucked into skinny jeans.

Marinette rounded a corner, and saw the intersection up ahead. A wave of fear overcame her. What if this was a joke? Or worse, what if this was a ploy to kidnap someone? She hadn't told anyone where she was going. It's not like the guy had told her to come alone, but she didn't feel comfortable meeting someone she didn't know, even if food was promised. Her hand drifted to her pocket, where pepper spray was hidden. She grasped it firmly, before breathing out heavily and heading forward. Marinette reached the intersection, and glanced around for someone wearing a Slice Guy's logo. Someone bumped her from behind again, then someone hit her shoulder. Marinette attempted to regain her footing before she lost control and fell straight towards the busy traffic.

Someone grabbed her coat from behind and lurched her backwards. She collapsed into someone's arms, and straightened the coffee before it spilled.

Marinette tilted her head back, looking up to see sparkling green eyes and golden hair. The man helped her stand up, before glancing at her hands. She wondered if he was going to rob her, when he grinned.

They sky lit up with sunlight.

"Are you from Busy Beans?" the man asked. She nodded her head, feeling a sense of peace overwhelm her.

"S-Slice Guy's?" she managed, still shaken from her near-death experience. Her mind was still flashing with the image of her own head under a tire. The beauty of this man, however, seemed to be distracting her just fine.

"Yep! I'm Adrien."

"M-Marinette. I… I have your coffees."

"And I have your lunch. Here you go!" he said cheerily, handing the plastic bag over to Marinette, who clumsily traded the coffees with him. She blinked up at him as he looked at her, his beautiful smile never fading.

"This is gonna help us a lot, Marinette. Thanks a bunch. We should do this again sometime, yeah?"

Marinette forced herself to answer through her bliss. "Y-yeah! We s-should this do again! I mean, do this again. Do this again, for sure." She returned his smile, and he chuckled a deep laugh that made her heart skip a beat.

"Sounds like a plan, Marinette. See you soon." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked down the street. The sunlight seemed to follow his figure, up until he turned a corner and disappeared from view.

Marinette realized she was standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk and hurried back to Busy Beans Coffee Shop.

* * *

"Alya, you don't understand, he was a literal angel! He had this golden halo of hair, perfectly styled, and his eyes were like a flawless meadow! And his skin looked softer than mine! How is that possible? I do everything I can for my skin, and he comes waltzing into my life like he owned a remedy for freckles!" Marinette paced around her apartment, tossing her hands into the air as Alya spun in a chair, giggling at her roomate.

"Was he tall, at least?"

"Yes, oh god yes! His legs went on forever and were muscular, but not in a gross way, like a 'take me now' kind of way! And even his outfit, completely went with his appearance, even if it was super simple! Black skinny jeans, a red tee-shirt dusted in flour, black apron that totally highlighted his waist, the shirt seemed to broaden his shoulders, even his belt matched his shoes-"

"Oh, he's a keeper." Alya exclaimed, sliding her chair back to her desk and opening her laptop.

Marinette turned to her friend, and frowned. She tilted her head suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna find this boy you speak so highly of. He better be as cute as you say, or I'll be mucho disappointo."

"It's easy to tell you didn't take Spanish." Marinette commented as she twisted her pencil through her fingers. She slid a sketchbook across her bed, and started to draw.

"It's _Espanol_ , Marinette. Don't you know?"

"It's only _Español_ if you say it right, Alya." Marinette made a downward stroke with her wrist, before correcting it. That wasn't right at all.

"Same difference. Oh. My. God! DJ Bubbler's new album is out!" Alya shrieked. Marinette rolled her eyes fondly and said, "Play it!"

"Can I borrow five bucks?"

"Sure, pay me back by… Saturday?"

"Will do." Alya's fingers flew across the keyboard. Music wafted out of her computer speakers, and Marinette couldn't help but nod along. Alya had become obsessed with the so-called "DJ Bubbler", a new Parisian musician who had quickly earn a large fanbase from Youtube. He then started publishing his songs, and Paris had been in love ever since.

Especially Alya, who was determined to learn his identity. The only thing known about him was that he was a guy in his twenties who had a strong passion for music. Alya was hooked instantly.

"He could be our age, Mari!" she had protested to Marinette, who thought going on a "Bubbler Hunt" would be a waste of time.

"Alya, if he's going by a fake name, he doesn't want to be found."

"Or maybe he only wants someone who truly loves his music to know who he is!" Alya argued.

Alya hummed as she surfed the web, fingers dancing around the touchpad. Marinette drew a curve, and added a circle. Then another curve, _no, that's not right_ , another curve, and a circle. She darkened a small spot, then repeated it across the other side. She leaned back, inspected her creation, and went back to sketching.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Alya said after a few minutes of silence. Marinette glanced up quickly. "You didn't."

"I didn't what?" Marinette asked, not looking up again. The picture was starting to look real. Nathaniel would be proud of her work.

"You. Did. Not."

"Alya, what did I not do?" Marinette sighed, placing down her pencil and marching over to her roomate. She leaned over Alya's shoulder, and froze.

 _ADRIEN AGRESTE RETIRING FROM MODELING_

" _I've started doing what I love"_

 _IS HE BEING HONEST OR LYING TO PROTECT HIS FANS?_

That was the headline of the Parisian Publisher, bolded over a smiling picture of Adrien Agreste, son of Gabriel Agreste, ex-supermodel.

"This isn't him, is it?" Alya's voice shook slightly. Marinette didn't speak, just dropped her sketchbook on top of the keyboard.

Adrien's face, forever frozen in graphite, smiled up at the roomates as they stared in shock. Alya's head slowly looked up at the picture of Adrien Agreste, then back to the sketch.

 _Is it just me_ , Marinette's thoughts spoke up, _or does he look much happier in the sketch?_

"HOLY SHIT MARINETTE!"

* * *

 **Hi!**

 **Should I continue this or no? It's sorta a bit of a drabble that I thought up at like, 10 at night while trying to fall asleep. I had read a tumblr post about two restaurants making a trade and it sounded like a cool concept, so here this is! Let me know if you want to see more, though. It won't be long, probably only a couple chapters, and I still have to finish "The Final Fight" (I SWEAR I WILL) so this might be a side-WIP that I do when I'm free? I dunno just let me know what you guys want/think.**

 **Review please and tell me your thoughts!**

 **(X-Posted on AO3)**

 **~Ani**


	2. A Good Person

Marinette had reached her peak in life.

Adrien had called every other day for the last week, and she was _flying_.

Seeing Adrien had really started to make a difference in her life. He was such a good person. One day, she found him helping a woman who was walking dogs. One dog had gotten tangled up with another, and he helped untangle them. Another day, he was making friendly conversation with a mailman, and was able to catch the man's falling mail while holding the pizza in his other hand.

Marinette has been making a strong effort in the last week to be the best person she could. Not that she had always been a bad person, she just decided it was time to put her very best effort into helping others. She had convinced Alya to put in a few more hours with her at the Food Shelter, and she decided to give a gift to their nice Landlord, Mme. Lavillant. The blonde woman had hugged her tightly at the gesture, and Marinette couldn't shake the good feeling she had gained for he rest of the day.

As a bonus, her skin had started to become clearer, her eye bags had disappeared, and her hair had seemed softer than ever. Alya has commented that she looked refreshed, something that was hard to do when you were juggling a full time job at Busy Beans and running an online clothing shop, while spending your free time at Shelters for the sick and homeless.

"It feels good to be a good person," Marinette had answered when Alya asked what was going on.

Alya has laughed. "Marinette, you've always been a good person. This is something else."

* * *

Nino had eventually figured out what she was doing— possibly from the weird way she leapt toward the phone every time it rang— and cornered her. She finally confessed, explaining their new trade agreement with Slice Guy's Pizzeria.

He had laughed and sent her with a note, not bothering to ask who was receiving it. She had placed it on top of Adrien's order, taped it down, and left Busy Beans. Adrien had been waiting, as always, wearing something so casual and simple yet Marinette could never control her breathing when she saw him.

His face broke into a smile when his eyes found her, and the sun seemed to shine once again through the dark clouds.

She had exchanged deliveries with him, and he raised an eyebrow at the note. Adrien carefully balanced the tray of drinks in one hand, somehow using another to open the note single handedly. Marinette wondered what else he could do with those hands, before she felt her tongue go numb and awkwardly cleared her throat.

Adrien's face went from confused, to smiling, to laughing a radiant laugh that she could only describe as _handmade from God himself_. There was no way any person should be this wonderful, but it seemed she had found the most perfect human being in the entire world.

As he recovered from his laughing fit, and Marinette had found the use of her tongue again, she managed to blurt out, "What does it say?"

Adrien coughed slightly, and Marinette noticed a slight dusting of pink on his beautiful cheekbones. _From the laughter,_ Marinette told herself.

"Oh, nothing of importance. Just— can you do something for me?" Adrien scratched his neck, showing off his biceps, and Marinette could feel her arteries stop pumping blood.

"Anything," Marinette said, before realizing how cringy she sounded.

Adrien let out a breathy laugh. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean— what do you— what would you like me to do?" she managed, before breathing out a heavy breath.

"I'm kidding, Marinette," he grinned sheepishly, "Just tell him this…"

Marinette returned to the coffee shop, pizza box in hand, blushing furiously. Nino raised an eyebrow at her flustered appearance, taking in her stumbly walk and crooked jacket and flushed cheeks.

"What'd you do, make out with him?" Nino asked casually, leaning across the empty counter. Marinette almost dropped the pizza box, barely kicking her foot out to save it.

"No!" she cried out. Nino laughed, his voice ringing in the almost empty cafe.

"Someone's defensive," Nino taunted.

"I'm not that kind of girl! And I doubt Adrien's that kind of guy, either!" she told him as sternly as she could with a large blush plastered across her cheeks.

"Well, you'd be surprised…"

Now Marinette did drop the pizza. Nino lunged forward, saving the cardboard box before it could tumble and drop their food.

Marinette's eyes were saucers. "What?"

Nino chuckled.

"I'm joking, Mari. If anything, it's those crazy fans who throw themselves at him. He can't catch a break, really. Those people don't even know him and they want to marry him!" Nino rolled his eyes. "Anyways, did he read my note?"

The blush came back. "Yes, he did. He, uh… He told me to tell you to… to…"

"To what, Mari?" Nino pressed. Marinette took a deep breath, and announced.

"Go fuck yourself."

Nino had to take an early break.

* * *

Marinette was meeting Adrien again, only this time everything had become more serious. Alya had found something she shouldn't have. Adrien's Instagram, Snapchat, and somehow his Tumblr.

"Alya! Why would you do this to me?" Marinette had moaned for thirty minutes before Alya had left the apartment in exasperation.

Originally, Marinette didn't plan on asking to friend or follow him. She swiped through his Tumblr, found it was full of cat videos, puns, phrases in chinese, fencing competition gifs, basketball gifs, piano solos, and the occasional reblog of a supermodel shoot— supposedly one of his friends.

She looked at her username, _callmeladybug_ , and decided it was conspicuous enough. She followed him.

 _Now that wasn't the problem,_ she told herself as she walked toward the intersection. _No, that wasn't the problem at all._

His Instagram was not private, at least his model one wasn't. Alya had found two accounts, one where she could find his publicity stunts on, or one for his personal friends. That was a private account. She did not follow that.

His Snapchat, too, was two different accounts. One for publicity, one for friends only. She definitely did not try to friend him on either account. She didn't want a death wish.

Naturally, when she came back from her shower, she found her phone sitting in a place she had _not_ put it. It was open, set on Adrien's private Instagram account. Instead of the blue " _Follow_ " button, she only saw the white " _Message_ " button.

She panicked, her fingers flying fast to Snapchat. She checked her friends. At the top of the alphabetical list, was Adrien Agreste.

She flew back to Instagram, checking her followers.

Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no_.

 _yeahchatnoir_ was following her.

She shut off her phone and couldn't fall asleep at all that night.

That was her current problem.

Adrien Agreste had not only seen her follow him, but followed her back.

The next morning she received a notification from Snapchat that he added her as a friend. She had panicked to Alya for a good twenty minutes before Alya left the apartment for work. They received a noise complaint later that day.

Marinette couldn't stop glancing at the phone all day. Nino had finally asked her, "are you so anxious to see your new boyfriend?"

She threw a cup at him.

He laughed it off. "Okay, okay. Just don't be surprised when you're pregnant and you didn't use protection!"

She glanced down at her hands, and seriously considered throwing their blender at him.

* * *

Adrien hadn't mentioned the social media at all.

* * *

Marinette was bringing six drinks to Adrien and the employees of Slice Guy's today. She expected it was a busy day.

As she crossed the street, she saw a young father struggling to move his child off the crosswalk. The kid screamed and cried, attempting to run into the road as the father grabbed at his stubby arm, holding a smaller child in his other arm. Marinette slowed her walk, staring at the scene before her, unfolding slowly and dangerously. Subconsciously, she placed the coffees on the nearest bench, eyes never straying from the child.

The boy's face pinched and turned even redder as he pulled and pulled against his father's slipping hands.

The street was currently empty, so the child seemed to be in little danger. The father grasped for the child's arm again, and the boy screamed loudly.

The light turned green.

The boy slipped away from his father.

And as if on a horrible cue, Marinette heard the roar of a supercharged engine.

She sprinted into the street. Ignoring the approaching supercar, and yelling pedestrians, she lunged for the young boy. She circled her arms around his torso and let her momentum carry her forward. The father yelled out in horror as the car sped past. Marinette felt her body get pulled backwards in the vacuum of air, and she stumbled to regain her footing. She continued her path, forcing herself to the sidewalk as her hands grasped the shaking, screaming child.

The civilians around her asked if she was alright over and over again. She nodded repeatedly, explaining she wasn't hurt.

Sirens reached her ears, and a police car sped past, a balding red-headed man she recognized as M. Raincomprix focused on his target. Marinette turned around, looking for any sign the man and younger child were injured. She let out a breath of relief when she saw they were safely on the other side of the street, being fussed over by a blonde man.

She clutched the child tighter when he seemed to fuss more. Marinette crossed the street once it was declared safe, and met up with the other hero of the day.

"Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed when he saw her face. She smiled slightly, returning the boy to the shaking father, who seemed to now have a much better grip on his son.

"Thank you, thank you! You saved my son's life. How could I ever repay you?" The man asked, his voice straining.

"You don't have to, sir. Please, get home safely."

"I will. Thank you both, may Allah bless you both." The man praised them continuously before glancing at his watch and crying out in shock.

"I must go! Live full and happy lives together, Monsieur and Madame!" He turned and ran off, the children in his arms bouncing with every step. Marinette smiled.

"I must confess," Adrien started as he turned to face her. "I ruined the pizza. You seemed to have sense in putting the coffee down before launching yourself into traffic. I did not," he looked down sadly at the crumpled cardboard Marinette was only just noticing.

"W-wait, _that's_ the pizza?"

"Uhh.. yeah. Turns out that car tires and pizza don't mix." He sighed. "I have nothing to trade…"

"Oh, t-that's okay! I brought a lunch, anyways. I lost t-track of the days,"

"Was it by any chance because you found my social media accounts?" Adrien offered casually. Marinette froze. _How did he…?_

"You never answered any of my messages, either. Was something, or someone, distracting you?" He tilted his head like an intrigued puppy.

"My roommate," Marinette answered flatly, hoping he would drop the subject.

"Roommate? Who is this roommate of yours?" Adrien asked.

"Alya. She's a jerk, but my best friend."

" _She_ sounds great. I'd love to meet her some day."

Marinette cleared her throat awkwardly. Was he really asking about meeting Alya? Did he find her social media somehow and find her attractive? Granted, any sane man would.

"Yeah, s-sure thing. Well, enjoy the coffee!" she went to leave, but Adrien grabbed her hand.

"Hold up, you haven't gotten your pizza yet!" he announced.

"It's… it's crushed though?" she furrowed her brows.

"We'll just have to make a new one then!" He told her, winking and pulling her down the street by her hand. She blinked confusedly.

"We?"

"Oh, yes. We. I'll be teaching you how to make a perfect pizza!"

She went to argue, and then her eyes found his hand in hers. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Sure. Let's do it."

* * *

 **Is this a good chapter? Idk I sorta busted it out last night, and edited it today. Hopefully I'll start to develop a good plot next chapter, cause this one certaintly doesn't have one lol.**

 **Anyways lemme know what you guys think, and if I should keep writing this!**

 **Thank you for reading! Please Review!**

 **~Ani**


	3. When the Moon Hits Your Eye

Like a Big Pizza Pie~

* * *

Nino was starting to wonder what was taking Marinette so long. She normally took about 10 minutes to bring the coffee, make small talk, and trade food. This exchange had passed 15 minutes, and he was starting to become concerned.

After all, what would he do without food?

He sighed, drawing a smiley face in the condensation hanging off his frappe. A buzz sounded, and he dug around in his pocket, fishing out his phone.

 _Congratulations, DJ Bubbler! Your album has sold 25,000 copies!_

Another sigh. His phone was shoved back into his pocket. He knew people loved his music, and he was happiest when making it. He just hated the publicity it brought. He grew up watching Adrien's face fall every time someone recognized him. Every time his father scheduled another photo shoot. Every time Chloe mentioned something about him being famous. His face would fall. And so would his heart.

Nino hated that. Sure, he didn't mind that people enjoyed his music. He loved that his creation could be enjoyed by the world. He just hated the fame.

His phone buzzed again. He pulled it out, hoping to see Marinette's name with an " _I'm coming back now, sorry I'm late, I was just making out with your best friend_ " message attached. But it was from Alya.

 _Did you buy DJ Bubbler's album yet?_

His face softened. She was one person he didn't mind the attention from.

 **u know I dont listen to his music**

 _You should, Nino! It's the best ever! I know you'd love it, I've heard the music you listen to!_

 **meh**

 _Baby. Are you free friday?_

 **i think so**

 _What do you say to dinner?_

 **sounds good to me**

 **should we bring mari**

 _To our date?_

 **double date**

 _With who?_

 **im assuming you know adrien agreste**

Nino didn't hear from her for a couple minutes. He was about to go on break when she replied.

 _Will you marry me because I think we need to get married._

 **soon. any idea where Mari is she's been gone for a while.**

 _Have you messaged her?_

 **three times. think you can try?**

 _Sure._

* * *

Message from: _Alya_

 _Marinette?_

 _Please answer your phone we're worried._

" _We're" is me and Nino, he needs you back at work._

 _Helloooo?_

But Marinette wouldn't see those messages for a while. She was too busy meeting every employee that worked at Slice Guy's Pizzeria.

"This is Ivan," Adrien called over the boisterous laughter a small pink hair girl was emitting. She didn't think someone that little could make such a big sound.

"Nice to meet the girl who's been keeping us awake for our way-too-long shifts," Ivan said quietly as Marinette shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet the people who have kept me alive by feeding me," Marinette said. Ivan cracked a grin.

"I can't believe it!" The pink haired girl yelled over the sounds of the fiery oven. "Adrien finally is letting his girlfriend meet the family!"

Adrien rolled his eyes.

"This is Sabrina. You probably know her already. That is, if you know Chloe Bourgeois, you should know Sabrina." Sabrina smiled as Marinette nodded in understanding. Chloe was famous for picking people, calling them friends and making them personal servants. Sabrina lasted the longest, but ditched Chloe out of nowhere.

"I'm impressed you managed to stay sane with Chloe around. Pretty sure if she didn't like the coffee I made she would spill it on me every time she saw me." Marinette commented. Adrien snorted and Sabrina smiled sadly.

"She has her issues, and needs to sort them out. You make great coffee, by the way," Sabrina's high voice told her. Marinette grinned.

"I'm gonna come here more often, you guys keep boosting my ego!"

Adrien laughed, pulling her toward two other workers.

"This is Kim, and that's Rose."

Marinette narrowed her eyes. Something about Rose seemed strikingly familiar.

Rose turned and gasped, wide blue eyes gleaming in the light. "You're Marinette! One of my mom's tenants!"

Marinette let out a quiet, "ohhh…" Rose Lavillant looked just like her mother, with shorter hair and a smaller build.

"It's so nice to meet you! You gave my mother those flowers and candy, and she still won't stop talking about how great you are!"

"That's so nice to hear. You look just like your mother, Rose."

"Ha! I look better than both my parents!" Kim yelled out, flexing dramatically. Adrien coughed.

"That's how genetics works, Kim. You're not special."

"He's special education, if anything," The pink girl commented, finally using her inside voice. "I'm Alix. Nice to meet Adrien's girlfriend, finally. Let's just keep it PG while were here, okay? We have a lot of customers eating their food, we don't wanna make them sick."

"Not my girlfriend," Adrien called from the back. Marinette hadn't realized he left her side.

"Uh, nice to meet you too Alix. I'd bet that you're the one who likes their coffee black, right?"

"Ohohoho, she's _good_. You can keep her, Adrien."

"Once again, she's not mine to keep," he commented gruffly as he lifted a bag of flour.

"Oh, she's taken?"

Marinette channeled her inner Alya and said, "Taken for granted, if anything."

The Slice Guy's employees roared with laughter, making Marinette giggle at their ferocity. This was definitely a new experience compared to Busy Bean's chill atmosphere. She could see why it was so popular.

"What can I get for you?" Sabrina asked over at the counter, shoving down her giggles.

"So, what are you doing here, anyways? Didn't like the pizza?" Ivan asked.

"Hey, that's not nice! I made it today!" Kim pouted.

"Yeah, but Adrien usually makes it. She could probably could tell the difference between a gentleman's hands and an idiot's flippers," Alix flipped the dough into the air gracefully. Kim turned on her, yelling about how "swimming doesn't make you grow flippers, Alix Kubdel!"

"No, the pizza was run over. She's here to make a new one with me." Adrien told the group.

"Ooooooo!" The group called and teased, making kissy faces at the blonde. He waved them off, grabbing Marinette's hand and pulling her to the back.

"Don't get distracted, you two!" someone called.

"Don't hit your head on the ceiling!" Adrien called back, followed immediately by a loud "OW!" as someone hit their head on the ceiling.

"They're fun," Marinette commented as she turned back to Adrien. Her throat turned dry as he gazed back at his friends. His hair drifted slightly in the wind, and his eyes glittered in the light.

"Yeah. They keep me…" Adrien's voice died out as he cleared his throat. "They keep me entertained," He turned back to her, and inhaled slightly at their proximity. She blinked, before pulling back slightly and turning to the table. She ignored her obvious blush.

Clearing her throat, she asked, "So, how do we make a pizza?"

Adrien walked over to the counter, grabbed a rolling pin and scooped over a pile of flour. "Spread this out evenly over the table and cover the rolling pin." He said, dusting off his hand before heading toward the large fridge. Marinette did as he asked, making a nice even coating across the counter. He grabbed a lump of dough, took off the wrapping, and tossed it onto the flour. A _poof_ of white powder erupted beneath Marinette, coating her chest and face. it stuck out obviously against her black shirt, and she wrinkled her nose to keep from sneezing all over the dough.

Adrien stifled a chuckle. She shot him a look, before letting out a small giggle that Adrien joined in on.

"Okay, now we're gonna roll out the dough. I assume you've never done this before?"

"I grew up in a bakery. Just tell me how thick we need it." She rolled her neck and dusted off her shoulders, making more of a mess.

"Eight inches," He said from behind her.

She turned around in disbelief. "What? No way."

"Yeah, I'm kidding. Half an inch, make it smooth. We don't want a rough crust."

Marinette nodded in understanding, before remembering an odd fact.

"You wanna hear something weird?"

Adrien made a clattering noise behind her. "Can't be worse than what I hear around _this_ place."

"Well, I think you'd be surprised at how many people like their pasties to have a rough edge to it. I think it's weird. A rough pastry is one made without love. Who wants a pastry without love?"

"That's such a mom thing to say," Adrien chuckled. Marinette grinned in response.

"Yeah, I'll admit. I took that from my mom." She bent over and checked the width of the dough. "Okay, I'm done. What now?"

Adrien walked over, pressing his chest into her back as he looked over her shoulder. She stiffened but didn't move otherwise. He hummed in her ear, his hair brushing her temple.

"I think you did great." He reached around her and pulled it into his hands. He took a step back and tossed it into the air gracefully. It spun in a beautiful spiral, and he caught it neatly. He repeated this process, and Marinette couldn't help but be entranced by his movements. It was almost beautiful. He took a step forward, and Marinette's breath disappeared again. He lightly placed the dough back down, spreading it out in a perfect circle. Marinette could feel his body heat.

"I'll grab the sauce." He pulled away, and Marinette could breathe again. Only for a second, however, as he was back, his shoulder scraping hers as he gently drizzled the sauce onto the dough. She swallowed roughly. He turned back to her, and held back a laugh. She remembered. Her face was still covered in flour. He coughed out a laugh and tried not to grin.

"Now all we need is the cheese," his hand reached past her, and lightly brushed her chest on the way back. They both froze and blushed.

"Uh… sorry," Adrien offered awkwardly.

"I-it's fine, I m-mean… it happens," Marinette stammered.

He nodded and silently sprinkled cheese across the top. The loud, boisterous sounds of his coworkers drifted back into the quiet kitchen, interrupting the awkwardness.

She glanced around for anything to change the atmosphere. As Adrien placed the pizza into the oven, she scooped up a handful of flour into her fist. She crept up behind Adrien, waiting for him to turn around.

He turned, and she blew the flour into his face.

He coughed and sputtered, stumbling back as she giggled into her flour covered hand. He blinked roughly, clearing his eyes. His face was plastered in white powder, probably mimicking hers. His golden hair was dusted white, and his red Slice Guy's shirt was messier than normal.

"Ohoho," he managed to chuckle as he coughed the flour out of his lungs, "you're lucky we have a lot of time until this pizza is done, because _it's on_."

He lunged forward and grabbed more flour, throwing it straight at Marinette's dark hair. She squeaked, ducking and throwing another handful. Adrien ducked behind the counter and swiped more flour, crawling slowly behind the counter and surprising Marinette from behind. She squealed as white dust rained down in front of her face. She stumbled back and slammed into Adrien's chest. They both careened toward the floor, but Adrien regained his footing last second and pulled her back up to her feet. She fell into his arms.

He tilted his head downward, gazing past his nose into her bluebell eyes. She stared up, feeling her neck strain with the effort and angle. Her weight was still against his chest, and she could feel his hips resting against the edge of the counter. She felt his nose brush hers, and she wondered who had moved closer, her or him. She didn't think it mattered.

His breath washed over her face, hot and quiet. Her eyes fluttered closed, and his nose moved ever so slightly closer, sliding to the side as his head tilted and his face moved the slightest bit closer and—

Both their eyes flew open as they inhaled sharply. Marinette pushed herself off and Adrien ran to grab the oven door; the room reeked of smoke.

"Grab the baking soda!" Adrien called, coughing through the billowing smoke cloud that erupted from behind the oven door.

Marinette scanned the room, quickly spotting the baking soda and tossing it to the blonde. He pulled out the pizza— luckily it didn't appear burned— and tossed the baking soda into the oven, effectively smothering the fire. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, glancing over the pizza to see if it was damaged. Besides the edges seeming a bit darker than the rest, the pizza was mostly untouched.

"What now?" Marinette asked.

"We're still gonna cook it, but not for very long," Adrien said, overlooking the dough. "Just for a couple more minutes."

"Okay."

* * *

Marinette had already left the Pizzeria when Adrien finally glanced at his phone. His jaw dropped and he unlocked the device, pulling up his messages. Thirty messages from Nino, twenty-six from an unknown number, and even a few from Chloe, which worried him more than the others. If Nino had involved Chloe, it meant he thought Adrien was dead or dying.

* * *

Messaging: **Nino**

 _sorry man I didn't look at my phone_

 **WTF MAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD WHY DIDN'T YOU RESPOND**

 _I got distracted?_

 **HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MISS 30 MESSAGES**

 _idk man I just didnt see them_

 **im gonna hit you so hard when i see u on friday**

 _friday?_

 **were goin on a double date**

 _with who?_

 **my date and ur date**

 _that's not specific enough for me_

 **its specific enuff for me mr i dont answer my phone**

 _fine_

 **WAIT IS MARINETTE OKAY**

 _yeah she's on her way back with a surprise_

 **if its a baby ill be pissed I told her to use protection**

 _dude wtf do you think we did_

 **IDK MAN YOU BOTH WERE AWAL FOR OVER AN HOUR YOU COULDVE MADE SO MANY BABIES IN THAT TIME**

 _did you ever take health class cause that is so wrong_

 **FUCK YOU MAN**

 _fuck you too nino i didn't impregnate mari_

 **i doubt she wouldve complained if u did**

 _wait what_

 **god your so dense**

 _this better be the best goddamn double date ever or ill kick your ass_

 **youll be presently surprised**

 _that is not the right word_

 **whatever man mari better get back here soon or youll be the one losing their ass**

 _bye nino_

 **bye adrien**

* * *

Messaging: Chloe

 _i'm alive, chloe_

Good

* * *

Messaging: Unknown Number

 _sorry, who is this_

This is Alya, Marinette's roomate.

WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE

 _whoa calm down she's back at work_

WHY WAS SHE GONE FOR SO LONG?

 _her lunch was crushed so i brought her to the pizzeria and we made a new one_

And why wasn't she answering her phone?  
 _we were both distracted by the building almost burning down_

Typical Marinette, almost burns down a building when making pizza. She's safe and back at work?

 _if you don't trust me i bet she'll answer her phone if you message her_

We'll see about that…

* * *

Message From: Alya Cesaire

Marinette please tell me you're alright and back at work!  
 _I'm okay, don't worry!_

Okay… WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER YOUR PHONE I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD

 _Sorry! The pizza caught fire and I got distracted!_

That pizza better be the best goddamn pizza in the entire world for that neglect you gave me.

 _I'll make it up to you tonight. You pick the movie and dinner?_

Twenty extra minutes in the bathroom and you have a deal.

 _I'll take that deal. Sorry again!_

I forgive you. Get back to work!

* * *

Marinette walked into Busy Beans only to bump into a furious Nino.

"Oh. Hi."

"Where the fuck were you!" he hissed. She covered his mouth and glanced at the preteen couple near the door. She nodded her head toward the back and Nino nodded, albeit reluctantly.

As soon as the door closed, the last bits of Nathaniel's "How may I help you?" squeezing through the gap in the door, Nino slammed his hand on the table.

"Marinette, explain yourself! I messaged you at least fifty times, and neither you or Adrien responded! Do you know how worried I was? I thought you guys had died or worse! I was this close," he put his fingers together, "to calling the Police!"

"Your fingers are touching, Nino," Marinette noted.

"I know. I called the Police. I'm going to call them back and explain that it was a false alarm before they send out one of those Amber Alert things."

"First of all, that an American thing. Second, that's for kidnapped children."  
"Considering I am your father, it fits perfectly. Get your thoughts together and for gods sake clean yourself up! You're still here for another two hours!" He stormed out of the room. Marinette shook her head, knowing that he wasn't as angry as he was concerned. She had known Nino long enough to understand his hidden words.

 _I'm glad you're okay._

She went to the sink and started to wipe off the flour.

* * *

Marinette could admit that the pizza she and Adrien had made was delicious. He did a great job at instructing her through the process, and an even better job at making her feel happy. She had never felt more comfortable with an almost-stranger in her life.

The workers at Slice Guy's Pizzeria were the most energetic people she had ever met and she wasn't complaining. She knew they would clash horribly with her coworkers at Busy Beans, but for some reason she wished to see them combined. The outcome would be miraculous.

They were very upset to see her go, and Alix had made some comments about "coming back to visit Adrien before he got sad again." She didn't like the sound of Adrien being "sad again", so she promised she would come visit again.

She arrived home to find Alya singing along to DJ Bubbler's new album into a hairbrush. The girls had dissolved into giggles.

As promised, Alya chose the food— chinese, the movie— Guardians of the Galaxy— and took a fifty minute bath to "relax all her muscles that tensed up from worry". Marinette was happy to give her what she wanted, as Alya tended to worry easily, and today must've given her multiple panic attacks.

As she heard Alya sing along to DJ Bubbler from behind the bathroom door, she heard her phone buzz. She glanced down, and her eyes widened.

 ** _yeahchatnoir_** : thanks for being so willing to ruin our kitchen today lol

 _callmeladybug_ : thanks for teaching me how to make a pizza

 _callmeladybug_ : I had fun today

 ** _yeahchatnoir_** : so did i. We should do this again sometime

 _callmeladybug_ : next time ill teach you how to make your own coffee, and then there will be no reason to trade

 ** _yeahchatnoir_** : well we wouldn't want that

 ** _yeahchatnoir_** : i wouldnt get to see your beautiful face everyday and ive gotten too used to that to stop now

Marinette slammed her phone on her nightstand and crushed her face into her pillow.

" _This would be so much easier if you didn't flirt like that!_ "

* * *

 **That's Amore~**  
 **guys this was supposed to be a one shot how did it all go so wrong?**  
 **This is a slow burn chapter I think (not really sure)**  
 **I hope this was as enjoyable as the last two chapters, the kids are starting to get to know each other better!**  
 **this chapter is being updated way earlier than it was supposed to but hey whos complaining except my future SAT score hehehe i should be studying oh god im so screwed AHHHHH**  
 **~Ani**


	4. He's an Anime Nerd? Perfect!

"Hey, Marinette?"

Marinette looked up from her newest sketch—a gray-blue blouse someone ordered. "What's up, Alya?"

Alya was standing and wringing her hands nervously. "We're going out on Friday! I totally spaced and forgot to tell you. Sorry!"

Marinette laughed, "Oh! That's totally fine! Except I'm super booked up and there's no way I can take time off?" Alya's face fell, and Marinette chest constricted. "Uh, the orders have been piling in from my website and I can't afford to stop for a second or I might lose clients!"

Alya sighed, "You can't take one night off? It's Wednesday, Mari! You still have tonight and tomorrow to catch up?"

"No," Marinette let out a strained laugh, "the orders are almost never ending. I'm super sorry, Alya! I hope whatever we were supposed to do didn't cost too much! I'll pay for some if you need me to."

Alya shook her head, face twisted. "No, it's okay. I didn't pay for anything. I was just really looking forward to it, that's all…"

"Well, what did you have planned? If it was a girls night, I'm sure Mylene or Juleka would be happy to go with you."

"Maybe," Alya shrugged. She pulled out her phone as Marinette went back to her sketch.

She pulled open her blog, The Wifi Fox, staring at the "New Post" option. She shook her head.

Not yet. She'd notice.

"I have to go, the office is waiting. I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah, sure thing!" Marinette called from her desk. Alya gave her one last glance before leaving the apartment, door closing behind her.

* * *

Adrien lathered the soap across his chest, eyes closed from any stray splashes of bubbles. The steam rose around him, thick, heavy, almost suffocating him. He inhaled anyways.

He finished up, turning off the water when his timer went off. He had to save money, or he'd be rooming with someone again. Nothing against Nino, of course. He just knew the barista had worked hard to get his own place. No reason to intrude on Nino. Adrien would just have to start saving his hard earned cash.

He exited the shower, wrapping his thin towel around his waist. His hand wiped the condensation off the mirror before him. His wet reflection stared back through the fuzzy image. The condensation covered him up again.

As usual, his eyes flew to the razor on his sink.

He rubbed his chin, as if to trick himself. He knew that's not why he looked at it. That was never the reason his eyes found the blade every time he entered the bathroom. He knew, yet he still felt for stubble.

There was a small bit of newly grown hair, but he didn't trust himself enough to touch it. The pain was still there. He left the bathroom.

He changed, pulling on his standard red tee and black pants, donning the matching black baseball cap over his hair. Then he left for work.

* * *

Her name was still in the tabloids.

They just didn't know when to quit, did they? It's interesting when it's not about you, isn't it, motherfu-

Her fingers kept flying across the keys, the mouse wheel, scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.

Besides this dumb video of two people saving this Muslim father and his two kids from being run over, her name was everywhere.

It's not her fault she hated her life. She just wanted to get out without any attention, for once. Getting hammered was just part of the deal.

But no. The paparazzi thought they were entitled to question her when she was totally shit-faced, leaving the club alone. She was still impressed with herself for not straight decking one of them.

Another article. And another. And another.

 _The Bourgeois' family is falling apart!_

 _How could the Mayor allow this?_

 _Pregnant and alone?_

 _Is Chloe's drinking problem Adrien Agreste's fault?_

 _Chloe Agreste? Father of her children? Or a One-Time Fling?_

 _Why Chloe Bourgeois' friends have abandoned her! An Inside Scoop!_

 _Chloe Bourgeois is a plague to this city and here's why!_

Her hands flew across the desk, and her monitor crashed to the ground, the screen going black.

She stomped past the mess, heading to the elevator and ignoring the stares from all the guests. She knew she looked awful. She never bothered to clean up from the night before. She smelled like vomit. Her face was streaked with mascara. Her clothes hung off her loosely.

She didn't care.

Her father wasn't at the hotel. Jean-something hadn't bothered to see her in person, just leaving her lunch next to a tall glass of water. Next to that, her medication bottle, with two pills already removed, waiting to be taken.

She swallowed them without water, ignoring the kitchen staff bustling around her. The bright orange of the prescription glared back at her roughly. She couldn't even remember why she had to take the medication. She couldn't remember what it was for. She just remembered it took the pain away. All the pain would just… go away.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A message from Adrien.

 _day 162_

Her eyes found the bottle again. The orange was angry. It wanted her to give in. It screamed at her to do it. To finally feel the release she wanted.

The bottle was in her hand, her eyes finding the plain white pills inside. Her other hand moved, finally. The cap blocked her vision, and she screwed it shut.

She responded to Adrien, the same response every day for 162 days.

Just one more day

* * *

Marinette was preparing another drink when she heard a velvety voice humming her favorite song behind her. She whirled around, drink still in hand.

He was drumming his fingers lightly against the counter, head tilted toward the wall as he hummed the tune to himself. Black fingernails gleamed in the light. Blue tinted hair swished before his eyes as his head swayed to his own music. Brilliant turquoise eyes found hers, finally.

"I love that song!" Marinette blurted out, before realizing her action was rude and blushing. He chuckled, his voice deep and making her vision sway.

"Me too. Fan of Jagged Stone, I'm guessing?"

"He's my favorite!" She gushed, lightly placing the cup down before she launched it into the air in excitement. "Next to DJ Bubbler, of course. Not that I'd ever admit that to my roommate, she'd lose her mind," Marinette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Bubbler's meh. He can't compare to old fashioned rock and roll, in my opinion. What do you think, Marinette?" The man asked. Her heart stuttered.

"How'd you know my name?" she asked.

"You're wearing a name tag," he pointed to her chest, and she blushed again. Idiot.

"Right. I'm working. This is my job. Uhh, any chance this frappe is yours?"

"That'd be it, yeah." He nodded.

"Right. I'll uhh, finish this up." She turned away, attempting to finish making his drink smoothly. The knowledge, however, that he was looking at her made it much more difficult to go through with the plan. She almost knocked it over twice.

"Here you go, Luka?" She asked, wondering if she saw the name "Luke" incorrectly.

"That's me. Thanks Marinette." He leaned over the counter, getting much closer than she anticipated. She blushed again, eyes wide as she looked into his. Her heart hammered in her chest. "I hope I see you again," he told her, taking the drink and walking away with a little wave of his hand. Marinette stood, frozen, before she heard a little boy ask,

"Is that boy your boyfriend?"

"No!" She shrieked, before apologizing for the outburst and going back to work.

Nino looked over suspiciously. That kid, the blue haired boy, he was hitting on the wrong girl. Nino had a job to protect his employees from weird customers, and if he proved to be a problem again, Nino had no issue dealing with him. Just not physically. He'd have to call Alya, maybe even Chloe, for that.

Plus he wasn't a fan of the Bubbler. Even weirder. Even Nino was a fan of the Bubbler.

Wait. Nino was the Bubbler.

Nino shook his head. He needed Friday night to come now more than ever.

* * *

Alya pressed New Post.

 _Hey Wifi Users! You all should know my bestie Marinette's online shop, The Ladybug, since I blog about it all the time. Well, apparently, we have a problem._

 _She's been meeting up with this guy through work, gonna spare the details, and she's totally into him. He ended up being my boyfriend's bestie. So my boyfriend and I thought it would be a great idea to go on a double date, inviting our friends but not telling them who we were going with, just like a "blind date" type of thing. WELL GUESS WHAT? APPARENTLY SHE CAN'T GO CAUSE YOU ALL HIT UP HER SHOP AT ONCE!_

 _I'm not complaining, thought. I can't blame you. Her clothing is literally the best. If she had her own physical store I wouldn't shop anywhere else. But I've recently seen how much work she's been doing, plus all the hours she's taking for her day job, and it pains me. Marinette is such a hard worker, that she told me to my face that she can't take a Friday night off to go out with a friend. She needed to finish your orders. And I agree with her. She needs the night off, though. For a while, I could see the stress leaving her body. She was looking healthier and better, but that Marinette didn't last long._

 _We need to bring her back. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like you guys to message her. If you ordered something from her in the past week, or planned on ordering something soon, please tell her you've moved back your order just by one day, or wait until saturday. I know not all of you will listen, or some of you don't agree with me and think she should keep working. I completely understand, but this isn't just for her love life; it's for her mental and physical health. Since she won't do it herself, I need too._

 _Please message her if you agree with me! If one day won't affect your life to drastically, message her about moving the order back a day and maybe even some encouragement! It would mean the world to her!_

 _Much love,_

 _~ Lady Wifi_

After reading it over three times, she pressed Post.

* * *

Marinette reached the intersection, glancing around. Adrien wasn't anywhere to be seen. Maybe she misunderstood him on the phone? Maybe he didn't want drinks today? Maybe he didn't want to see her today? Or ever again? Maybe he hated her for burning the pizza and he wanted to sue her for almost burning the place down and-

"Hey Marinette!"

She shrieked, jumping into the air and barely managing to contain the drinks in the carrier. Adrien laughed, rubbing his neck unabashedly. There was stubble around his chin. His golden hair was contained under a black hat, and she forced herself to keep the pout off her face.

"My bad, didn't mean to scare you. How's your day been?"

"G-good. I had this customer, he was… interesting. But he liked the same music I did…" her thoughts wandered, and Adrien cleared his throat.

"What kind of music do you like?"

Oh. "I like Jagged Stone's music a lot. And my roommate, Alya, got me into DJ Bubbler."

"Those are my favorite musicians!" Adrien exclaimed in delight. Marinette's eyes widened, sparkling in the sun.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"I heard his new album is coming out in a few months! I'm super excited!"

"Right? I can't believe he's actually doing another one…"

"He's too old for this."

"You'd think, right?"

Marinette laughed. "Anyways, here's your drinks."

"Oh, sorry. Are you in a hurry?"

"No. We don't have a busy day. I've still got like," Marinette checked her phone, "thirty minutes."

"Oh, cool. Do you wanna go to the park over there and chat for a bit? My feet are killing me," Adrien chuckled nervously. Marinette nodded, eyes widening.

"Sure! Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I didn't want to bother you, it's not that bad."

"It's always bad when the word 'killing' is involved, Adrien. Let's go sit."

They walked across the street, passing the school Marinette grew up in. She heard the bell ring and dodged the stream of kids exiting the building.

"You're staring." Adrien noted. She jolted. "Did you go there?"

"Yeah. Many years ago," she joked. Adrien narrowed his eyes, silent as they sat down.

"How old are you?" He questioned. Marinette raised her eyebrows.

"What is this, twenty questions?" She teased.

"Sure. Honestly, I've known you for over a month, but still don't really know much about you. I'd like to change that," he told her. Her face flushed pink.

"O-oh. Well, I'm 26. What about you?"

"27, just turned a couple months ago. God, we're almost thirty," he shook his head.

"Don't say that! I feel old now!" Marinette covered her face with her hands, and Adrien laughed.

"Okay, my turn. What's your favorite color?"

"I like pink or red. What about you?"

"I like green, but I'm starting to like blue, too. Hobbies?"

"I'm a designer on my free time. I sketch and sew, but I also like baking and gardening. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?"

"Ooohhh, well, I've always liked the idea of flying. That sounds really cool. Or maybe like, super strength and agility? Just to be like, a typical superhero. That was a good question," Adrien praised. "What about you?"

"I think Spiderman's powers are super cool, but I think I'd be awful at web-slinging. So I'd have to say time-control or something. Or teleporting! That would make everything a lot easier." Marinette laughed. "What are some of your favorite TV shows?"

"Uhh," he blushed lightly, "do Anime's count?"

"Of course they do? What are we, animals?" Marinette rolled her eyes playfully and saw him visibly relax.

"Right. I love Boku No Hero Academia, and Naruto was my childhood. I'm starting Voltron: Legendary Defender, though it's more of a cartoon than an Anime. Attack on Titan and One Punch Man were both awesome in their own ways. Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z were other shows I watched as a kid, so that'll be in my heart forever. Yuri! on Ice and Ouran High-School Host Club were great, too. I,uh, don't really watch regular TV." Adrien grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I rambled. What about you?"

"My Hero Academia is so good and I can't wait for the next episode. Voltron is super good. I watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and cried a lot, but it was so worth it. Soul Eater was pretty good, and so was Blue Exorcist, and I watched some more unknown ones like Seven Deadly Sins, or Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. Regular TV shows, I liked Doctor Who and Star VS The Forces of Evil, Gravity Falls and Sherlock, and Brooklyn 99 was so funny, ugh I love it." Marinette narrowed her eyes. "Hmmm… Have any pets?"

"Not yet. I want a cat though. You?"

"Nope, though Alya sometimes makes me think she counts as one."

Adrien snorted.

"Favorite Marvel Superhero?"

"I really like Black Panther. He's got the coolest tech and powers. And he's a king," Adrien added. "Yours?"

"Spiderman. Tom Holland is so… ugh I love him."

"This is the second time you've mentioned him," Adrien commented. "Could I infer that someone has a crush?"

"W-what? On w-who?" Marinette panicked. He knew she liked h-?

"Spiderman, right?" he asked.

Oh. Duh. "Yeah, probably. He's really cute. Also he's super agile," Marinette giggled. Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"You seem pretty agile yourself, Marinette."

She blushed, and her eyes widened. "Oh, not really. I'm mostly clumsy."

"Oh, come on."

"No, really! I'm constantly tripping everywhere," she pulled up the hem of her shirt to reveal a purple bruise on her porcelain stomach. Adrien raised an eyebrow, but Marinette didn't notice his difficulty swallowing. "This happened two days ago. I fell down the stairs to my apartment building. Almost knocked myself out," she chuckled.

"Two days ago? Are you alright?" Adrien's brows furrowed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It happens a lot," she brushed it off with an unconcerned wave.

"Did you hit your head?" He asked, reaching behind her and feeling around her scalp. She froze as his fingers tenderly ran through her hair. He visibly relaxed as his head retracted. "I don't feel anything."

"Yeah, I didn't hit it that hard, I was just tired," she cleared her throat, facing the park. A young boy ran after a small dog. He threw the red ball in his hand, and the black dog caught it.

"So," Adrien started, drawing her attention back to him, "what did you think of my social media?"

"Oh." she blushed. "Well, I liked the personal ones better. They're more… you?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "The public ones are sorta boring. Haven't used them in ages, though." He fixed the hat on his head.

"Cause you quit modeling?" she attempted. He stilled.

"Yep."

They were quiet for a minute.

"Why?"

He managed a small smile. "Bored. I'd been doing it for years. It was time to quit. My dad…" The smile disappeared. "He wasn't happy."

"You were one of his top models. I guess I can see why,"

He hummed, staring off into the distance.

"But that doesn't give him an excuse to force you to model against your will, does it?"

His head snapped toward her, but she refused to meet his eyes. The ground is more interesting, she told herself.

"What? How did you-?"

"You obviously never enjoyed modeling, Adrien. And you're clearly a people pleaser— I mean like the kind that makes people happy not in the other way— " Adrien managed a smile at that. "S-so it would make sense that you didn't quit early on. You wanted to keep your dad happy, right?"

Adrien was quiet for a time.

"Yeah. You got me. I hated modeling. I hated the fame that came with it. My father never cared, though. He's a greedy bastard, but a greedy bastard who knows how to make money. So I stayed modeling. Later, I learned that he couldn't be pleased, no matter what I did. So I quit," he shrugged.

"Are you happy now?"

"I think we've reached our 20 question limit, Mari," he mused.

"Oh, sorry." she blushed furiously. Why would she ask that?

"I was kidding, Marinette... happy?" he murmured. He lifted his arm again, feeling the brim of his hat. "Yeah. I'm getting there. Meeting you helped a lot, actually."

Marinette didn't answer. She wouldn't answer.

She couldn't tear her eyes from the small, white lines on his wrist.

He didn't notice, still lost in thought.

"Aha!" A great, booming laugh came from next to them. They both jumped, being tossed back into reality with a strong forceful push. A large man with a large cart smiled down at them.

"Andre?" Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hello, sweet Marinette! Hello, new stranger! Can I help the two lovebirds to some life-changing ice cream?" He asked loudly, drawing attention to the two young adults, who were both blushing furiously and denying his accusation.

"We're just friends, really-"

"Yeah, we're not dating-"

"That's not a thing-"

"Maybe eventually-"

"We wouldn't-"

Andre laughed again, the ferocity of his guffaws making both adults jump again. "You two are in denial! Let Andre help with that!" He scooped two cones of ice cream, handing them to each person. "It's on the house! Let the love blossom, young ones! You'll wish you had later on!"

Both blushed profusely, looking anywhere but at each other. Marinette's eyes found her ice cream. Peach on bottom, then a grassy green color, then a golden color, then a cherry.

She snuck a glance at Adrien's. Dark blue on bottom, almost a raven, then a bright blue, then pink. She blinked, her hand finding her raven hair. Adrien's eyes widened, blinking at the green on hers. Their eyes met, and they couldn't help the chuckles that escaped.

"Did he actually-?"

"I think he did," Adrien laughed. He used his spoon and carefully took a scoop of the pink, a color that matched her lips. He tasted it, and Marinette looked away before she could watch what he did to the spoon. "Wow, Marinette. You taste good."

Adrien laughed even harder when she flailed and almost lost her ice cream.

* * *

Marinette arrived back at her apartment and tossed her apron on the nearest chair. She froze when something clattered to the ground.

 _No no no no no no no don't be my phone!_ she pleaded as she turned around slowly. It wasn't her phone, thank god.

A piece of paper gently lay on the ground. Marinette stooped to pick it up, finding something underneath. A guitar pick.

She examined it closer, and gasped. Jagged Stone? Where would she get a Jagged Stone guitar pick?

She looked at the paper. A phone number.

Oh.

That guy from today, Luka. She had completely forgotten about him after talking to Adrien today. After the twenty questions game. After the ice cream. After the scars.

She almost forgot again.

Marinette looked at the number, wondering what to do. She tucked it away and went to her computer, looking for any new emails from potential customers. She found something else instead.

"Alya?" Marinette called from her desk. Alya poked her head out the bathroom door.

"What's up?" She asked, toweling her hair dry.

"Why is my inbox exploding with asks?"

Alya stilled her face to confusion. "I dunno. What are they saying?"

"Pretty much everyone's saying the same thing. They want me to take a day off, live my life, get some… get some ass? What is happening?" Marinette scrolled and scrolled through her tumblr, speed-reading more and more messages as they rolled in. Alya muffled her laughter behind her.

"You're pretty popular. And you know, they're right! Take Friday night off! I didn't cancel our plans yet, and I know you're gonna have a lot of fun~!" Alya shimmied behind her. Marinette stilled, leaning back in her chair.

"Hmm…" she mused, spinning around to face Alya. Alya froze, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that your "I'll consider it Oh Great One" face?" Alya guessed.

"You could say that…"

"Yes! Get a cute outfit ready! We aren't going alooonneee!"

"Alya!"

* * *

I **'M BACK!**  
 **Hi. Sorry. I probably shouldn't even be doing this, because I still have another final to take on Tuesday and this is wasting precious study time!**  
 **That's also the reason this is very late! I had three finals this week and they were all chaotic but I think I did good? Maybe?**  
 **I'm extending the length to six chapters, just cause I think that's how many I'll need. But we'll see!**  
 **Also Boku No Hero Academia is like, so good? Why haven't I watched this before? And Voltron Season Six? I've never felt more emotionally drained in my life and I'm not sure if that's bad or good...**  
 **Anyways,**  
 **You're all awesome!**  
 **~Ani**


	5. Raining

Unknown Number:

 _MARINETTEEEEEEEEEE_

Marinette's eyebrow raised. It was Wednesday night. She was just about to go to bed. Who could possibly be messaging her this late at night. And an Unknown Number? That sounded ominous.

 _ **Hi? Who is this?**_

 _oh shit_

 _its adrien_

 _sorry got ur number from nino_

 _THATS NOT IMPORTANT  
_

 _ **Adrien? What's wrong?**_

 _DID YOU WATCH THE NEWEST BOKU NO HERO EPISODE_

 _THE ONE THAT CAME OUT ON SATURDAY_

 _ **No, I haven't had the chance yet...**_

 _ **Why what happened?**_

 _WATCH IT NOW_

 _actually wait_

Their conversation was cut off by a request to Video Chat by an Unknown Number.

Marinette panicked. Her phone fumbled in her hands as she attempted to either accept or decline the call; which one, she still wasn't sure. The incessant ringing was cut short by the sound of acceptance, and Marinette froze.

" _Marinette?"_ his husky voice came from her speakers, and she melted. It was late. He might've been sleeping before he watched the episode.

"Y-yeah?"

" _You okay? I can't see you…"_

"O-oh. Right." she faced the camera towards herself, looking at the screen and balking. A rumpled, slightly damp, shirtless, sleepy Adrien Agreste looked back at her. Sweat beads slipped down his temple, and she fumbled with the phone again.

" _There she is_ ," a sleepy smile appeared. " _Get on whatever website you watch Anime on right now. I cried inside._ "

"Right now?"

" _Right now. Go. I need to watch your reaction,"_ he said. Her heart skipped a beat as she scampered to her laptop. She felt the phone angle downwards, but all she cared about was doing as he said. With _that_ voice, she'd do _anything_ he said. She pulled out her chair and sat at her desk. As she placed her phone against the side of her laptop, she saw her bare arm.

 _Odd_ , she thought. _I wore long sleeves today_.

 _I didn't change for bed yet, did I?  
_

 _Oh no I did._

With a squeak, Marinette pulled her arms away, covering up her top. Adrien didn't need to see her skimpy tank top, with the straps falling off her shoulders. She pulled them back up. She remembered how her phone tipped downwards when she was going to her desk, realizing he probably got a face full of booty-shorts and bare legs. At least her toes were painted. _Curse this hot apartment._

" _It's fine, Marinette. I'm definitely not complaining,"_ he chucked. She ducked her head, hiding a blush, and brought up Crunchyroll.

"Are y-you alright, Adrien? You're sweating a lot, a-and your throat sounds like it hurts," she managed to say. Adrien's eyes widened, and he coughed quickly, hiding a flushed face.

" _Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just… just had some stuff to do beforehand. Working out some, uh, stress._ "

"O- _oh_." Marinette couldn't respond to that, blushing furiously, instead pulling up Boku No Hero Academia and clicking on the next episode.

Adrien was impressed. She laughed at just the right times, gasped when needed, and had the most entertaining facial expressions. She even clutched her heart at one point, causing Adrien to chuckle. Boku No Hero Academia had never been more adorable, and he doubted it ever would be.

She buried her head into her hands when the episode ended. Adrien frowned.

"Marinette? You okay?"

" _It's too late for this much cuteness…_ " she murmured.

"Yeah, the episode was pretty cute near the end," Adrien offered.

" _I wasn't talking… Nevermind. I can see why you were yelling before. That was incredible._ "

"I know, right?" Adrien said, eyes lighting up excitedly. Marinette laughed.

" _Deku is my favorite, he's such a little bean._ "

"I like Ochako a lot, actually. She's always so positive," Adrien smiled.

" _Just like you,_ " Marinette laughed. " _What would your Quirk be if you were in that Universe?_ "

"Oh, man… Maybe a destructive power? It seems like I'd have something like that… What about you?"

" _Oh, I've thought a lot about this, actually!_ " Her eyes brightened. " _I think I'd have a creation type quirk, where I can summon something that would help me during the situation I'm in. Sorta luck based, you know? But I could only use it once a day, just to keep it realistic._ "

"I like that. What would your name be?"

" _Oh, I'm not sure. I guess I'd have to think about it._ "

"I'd be Chat Noir," Adrien said, holding his hands out like he grew claws. She laughed heartily, the sound bouncing off the walls. Adrien smiled.

" _That's your name?_ "

"Yeah! What's wrong with it?"

" _Nothing, nothing! I just didn't realize you had a fursona, is all._ "

"Eck! Marinette, how could you?" Adrien cried, burying his head into a pillow.

Marinette laughed again. "You said it!" She felt her cheek throb from smiling

" _But you made it... that!_ "

"Okay okay," Marinette wiped a tear from her cheek, her sides cramping from her laughter. She straightened her face, attempting to appear serious. "Fine. You're not a furry."

" _Thank you._ "

She cracked a smile. "But you are a dork."

" _I will accept my fate. Forever a dork?_ "

"Obviously. Okay, well, it's late, and I have an early shift. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow?"

" _Sure. Want to stop by Slice Guys again?_ "

"Sure. I'll let you get back to… uh," Marinette blushed again, "w-whatever you were d-doing…"

Adrien flushed red, coughing awkwardly. " _Right. Sleep well, Marinette_."

"G-goodnight Adrien," she smiled at the camera, hand touching her neck lightly, and Adrien returned it sleepily.

" _Goodnight, princess,_ "

Marinette hit _End Chat_ and shut off her computer. She calmly picked up her phone, went back into her room, and face planted onto her bed. She squeaked into the pillow, narrowly missing her nose on the bed frame. _Even after ending that conversation,_ she thought to herself, _I still continue to have near death experiences._

"Wait…" she sat back up. "Did he call me ' _princess'_?"

* * *

Messaging: **Nino Lahiffe**

Nino, I think this double date might go better than expected…

* * *

Marinette was working register the next day. She didn't do it often, but she was conversational and friendly, and Nino claimed she had a charming smile and soft eyes. She argued that his eyes were much softer. Especially when he used The Soft Look™. He shrugged and told her to get back to work.

"Your order will be right up," she told her current customer, writing "Damien" on five different cups. From the other boys/one man sitting in a booth with similar black hair and blue eyes, she assumed he was the designated "order the coffee" family member.

She started to greet the next person without looking up. "Hi, how may I help yo—AH!" Marinette leapt backward and proceeded to throw her marker in the air. "Damien" and his family all looked up, faces set in stern expressions, but Marinette's horror wasn't from a threat.

"A-Adrien? Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" she managed to spit out. Adrien's smile glowed in the dim lighting of Busy Beans.

"Well, hello to you too, Marinette. I'm here to take you on your lunch break, since it's in five minutes. Oh, and I'm also here to order for Slice Guys," he said with a wink.

"O-okay," Marinette breathed. "W-what can I get you?

Marinette took the last few orders, a redheaded girl being pushed in a wheelchair by a blonde and another black haired girl. She vaguely noticed they went to sit with the black haired guys, but her head was a blur. She could hear Nino chatting with Adrien to her right, and it was obvious her verbal volume had decreased exponentially, but she couldn't seem to care. J _ust finish your job just finish your job just finish your job and you can go on break just finish your job just finish your job and you can go on break just finish—_

"Marinette, you're free to go on your date. Mylene, Max, Nathaniel, you guys are up. Juleka, you're on break too."

"Nino!" Adrien laughed, shoving his shoulder. "Don't embarrass her in front of her coworkers, man!"

"Neither of you are helping!" she hissed, stomping over and throwing her apron at Nino's face. He chuckled and went to grab Adrien's drinks.

"Nice to meet you, Adrien!" Mylene called. Nathaniel and Max copied her, waving kindly as they took their positions.

"Marinette can carry your drinks like the good employee I know her to be. I'm giving you thirty minutes, so you better be back by then. And no babies!" Nino called as he went into the kitchen. Marinette's face burned as she stared at Nino's retreating form in horror.

Adrien coughed, face red as well. "So, uh… Think more about what your hero name would be?"

* * *

As they walked to Slice Guy's, it started to rain. At first, the pitter-patter of the light drops didn't do much to deter their conversation. They discussed new episodes of shows they watched mutually, and commented on business competition. Adrien mentioned another Pizzeria opened up on the same block as Slice Guy's, and Ivan's irritation that came with it.

"He's being harder on us now. ' _Gotta beat them outta business_ '," Adrien quoted.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "That's ominous."

The rain fell harder, and the pair decided it would be better to wait it out under a nearby awning.

"It shouldn't last too long," Marinette mentioned, looking to the sky.

Lightning crackled across the sky, and her brows furrowed.

"Or maybe it will," Adrien sighed. "We should get inside, or at least away from all these trees." His fingers slipped past her palm as he tugged her down the street. She blinked up at his form, moving with a purpose.

They waited at a corner shop, waiting for the crosswalk signal to turn green. Marinette felt his arm pressed against hers, for no other reason but to conserve body heat. After all, they both were still in work attire: black shirts and pants to go under their vibrant aprons. Adrien didn't even have his hat, just his tousled blond locks, slightly damp and less voluminous from the heavy rain. Marinette expected her bun was sagging on her head.

Marinette shivered, something that didn't go unnoticed by Adrien.

"Sorry about this. I didn't think to look at the weather. Maybe we were better off staying at Busy Beans,"

"Did you seriously just apologize for the weather?" Marinette asked incredulously, turning her head to look at his abashed face.

"Well, not for the weather, but—"

"It wasn't either of our faults, Adrien. Just bad luck."

Adrien cracked a smile. "If we had powers, you could get us that umbrella."

She laughed. "That would be very handy right now." Her eyes strayed across the street, where a younger boy was waving frantically. She took a step forward and peered at him, looking for some sign of familiarity. _Was he waving at her?_

A bright flash and a loud crack made her jump. She stumbled backward, losing her footing and cursing her clumsy luck.

Her first thought, unexpectedly, was the coffees. They would most likely land directly on her and drench her in burning liquid.

Her second thought never had a chance to finish.

Two strong arms encircled her waist, steadying her footing and allowing her to catch her breath. She felt her back slumped against a strong abdomen, and when she peered up, she saw Adrien's wide eyes looking right back.

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping her back to her feet.

She glanced down at her hand. The coffees were okay, untouched by the ground or the rain. The boy was apparently waving to a taxi, and she watched as he slipped inside.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for catching me. You're pretty quick."

"And you're pretty clumsy," he winked. "I guess I should've taken your word for it, even though seeing you grab that little boy in the road would've made anyone doubt your clumsiness."

"Oh, be quiet. If I knew this is how I'd be treated today maybe I wouldn't have brought you your coffees," she teased.

He cracked a grin. "That's borderline _evil_. You have a sick mind, Marinette. How could I function without your handcrafted, heavenly coffee?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out," she said simply, grabbing his drink and popping the top open. His eyes narrowed.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Dupain-Cheng…"

"You started the game with that rude comment. You've earned this." And with that, she brought the drink to her lips.

He lunged forward, and Marinette dodged, twirling on one foot and keeping the coffees steady. Adrien whirled around, eyeing the drink in Marinette's hand.

"That doesn't seem like a clumsy girl. Who are you and what did you do with Marinette?"

She snorted. "Still me, Adrien, even if it's hard to believe."

"Pretty sure this is an angel," he smirked. She flushed pink, and took another sip of the drink to change the topic.

"Hmm," she pondered. "Has a good, sweet taste to it. I may just finish this."

"Don't you dare."

"Come at me, handsome," she winked, which took all of her courage. His lips quirked upward.

"You've brought this upon yourself, princess. Don't complain to me if you don't like the result."

"So," Marinette started as she took a step back, countering his step forward. "I _didn't_ imagine you calling me that. Interesting name choice."

"Fitting for you, I'd say, princess."

"What a nerd." Marinette rolled her eyes as she balanced the coffees. She grinned up at him, feeling her bun slip farther down her head. "What were you doing last night that made you think of me, hmm?"

Adrien's steps faltered, and his face flushed a beautifully distracting red. She ignored her own blush, and took another sip of his coffee. His eyes found her movements, and his face formed another grin, illuminated by the flash of lightning.

"Keep drinking that Marinette, finish it even, and I'll be forced to taste it off your lips. I'm sure there'll be enough caffeine left to keep me awake for the day, maybe even the night, if you insist on it."

Marinette was the one who stopped moving, hand jerking to hide the blush that encased her face. Adrien laughed, and she heard his light steps approach her. She attempted to hide her blush even more, afraid of what he might say next, but all he did was pluck the drink from her hands. She watched through her fingers as he took a sip, licking his lips and smiling down at her.

"Still tastes of you a bit," he winked again.

She squeaked, and her blush flared up again. Adrien laughed harder, but jumped when another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. He lurched forward, but Marinette quickly put her hands out to stop his stumble. His momentum pushed her into the building's wall. The rain poured heavily down onto the awning, cascading down the red slope and splashing into the sidewalk. Adrien's pressure against her chest, her back against the wall, her heartbeat, it all felt like that rain.

Neither of them spoke, staring at each other in surprise. Her hand was still against his firm chest, keeping him from crushing her completely. The coffees, by some miracle, were carefully tucked under Adrien's arm and against his back. Marinette could tell their legs were tangled, and she could also tell it would cause a lot of embarrassment to untangle them. She couldn't miss the way his eyes flicked down her face, his green eyes blocked quickly by long blond lashes before they guiltily jumped back to her eyes.

Her blink was slow, and he seemed to move closer in that second. Her lips parted slightly, wondering where this would lead. Another inch, and their noses would touch. Another inch after that, and…

The heavy thudding above their heads didn't deter either of them. The cars driving by went unnoticed. The street was empty of passerbys, but they would've been ignored as well.

Marinette felt her hand subconsciously grasp the heavy, damp fabric of his black shirt. It crumpled under her fingers. Adrien's hands rested lightly on her hips, but one slipped around her back, pulling him ever so closer. He wasn't close enough.

Marinette couldn't move. She was caught between closing the gap and not pushing him too far. She didn't know his boundaries. She didn't want to push them.

 _Is this alright?_ she wanted to ask. _Is this okay?_

She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. All she could do was wait for him to move; closer or further away, she wasn't sure.

Thunder rumbled above them. Marinette reeled back in surprise, and Adrien did as well. The gap between them became too big. Far too big for her liking. It was as if, by some unholy being, they had been forced apart. He met her eyes. She didn't know what that look meant. She wondered if she ever would.

"I…" his voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat. His eyes didn't leave hers. "We're running out of time."

Right. She was on break, and they needed pizza or Nino would throw a fit. She tore her eyes away, exuding disappointment. Her phone alerted her they only had twenty minutes until her break was over. They needed to hurry. It was a ten minute walk, and they had only managed half that distance.

Adrien lightly placed his coffee back into the carrier, and took it from her hands. She looked into his eyes, questioning. He managed a smile, even if it was shaky.

"How can I let a princess carry out a task so menial?" he asked.

She let out a wavering laugh, attempting to dislodge her nerves. "Such a menial task can be done by anyone. Are you _doubting_ the princess's abilities?"

"Of course not, your highness. However, it is below you to even think the thought of performing such a task. Allow your knight to assist you as we travel on this long, arduous quest to obtain the Pizza of Youth from the cruel dragon guardian, Ivan the Manager."

"Well, if you insist," Marinette managed to say without laughing. And just like that, the awkward moment had vanished.

* * *

Messaging: Alya Cesaire

 **howd u find out**

Nino, I'm so sorry.

 **just tell me al**

You were still signed into my mail app on my phone. Apparently you've reached 30,000 copies sold. Congrats.

 **no one was supposed to kno**

I know, Nino. I'm so sorry.

 **u kno u cant tell anyone**

 **not mari**

 **not the newsletter**

 **no one**

I would never. I know why you were anonymous now, too.

 **adrien**

Yes. I'm so sorry, babe…

 **stop apologizing im not mad**

 **its my clumsiness**

I should've signed you out. I never thought I'd see something you didn't want me to see. You've just never been secretive about anything.

Hell, you've let me read you messages to your exes.

 **i shouldve been more careful**

Maybe.

 **im happy its u**

 **im happy u kno**

I'm happy it's you, too.

Can you show me?

 **this weeknd**

 **im booked for the rest of today and tmrw**

Okay. I've got to go.

Love you, DJ Bubbler 3.

Nino couldn't help but smile. He never thought seeing those words from Alya would make him feel like this. She was full of surprises, even when finding out his darkest secrets.

 **love u too alya**

* * *

 **Hi!**

 **(look i know it's been a month i'm sorry i'll finish this up soon)**

 **Thank you for all the "good grade" wishes! You're all very kind, and I'm happy to let you know I did wonderfully on all my exams!  
**

 **Did you get my random fandom reference? Who were those people at the coffee shop?**

 **…?**

 **(spoiler alert it's the batfam I'm not even a DC fan but the tumblr headcannons are hysterical also Dick Grayson is my new boyfriend)**

 **I hope this chapter was to your liking, monsieur au madame. C'est magnifique? Non? J'ai assume autant…**

 **Okay look I haven't taken French in over a year gimme a break…**

 **But seriously, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took me a bit to come up with a plot for it, because I didn't have anything to write about in between the last chapter and the next one, so this might just be a bit drabbly…**

 **But I guess the jokes on me this was supposed to be a oneshot/drabble haHA where did it all go so wrong?**

 **Just realized this is sorta the opposite of the PizzaBug/ColaCat AU. I really like that AU.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading, you're all amazing human beings (almost typed human people) and I hope you received some joy from this chapter!**

 **~Ani**


	6. Happiness

Marinette wondered how she allowed herself to be dragged into this situation. Alya had her hand, and was currently dragging her through every jewelry and accessories shop they had near them.

"You want a new outfit for tomorrow night?" Marinette had frowned.

"No, that's not what I said!" Alya responded, rustling through her closet. Marinette glanced down to her sketchbook, looking at the newest order. A pair of faux leather pants and a white baggy sweater to go over them. A really cute outfit, Marinette remembered the customer wanted the outfit for her senior photos. The sound of snapping fingers made her look up. Another outfit was pressed to Alya's chest.

"That's cute, but it sorta clashes with the red tips," Marinette fingered the ends of her own hair to demonstrate. Alya nodded knowingly and hung the dress back up. She sifted through more clothing. Another dress, this one purple and black.

"Maybe. What else you got?"

"Ooh, this one is cute," Alya said.

"So, are you going to tell me what you actually said?" Marinette tried.

"I want new… additions to my outfits. What's the word?"

"Accessories?" Marinette offered.

"Yes, that! If I keep wearing the same dresses over and over again, I'm gonna need something to… to spice it up. So we're going shopping!"

"When? I don't have the time tonight."

"Tomorrow. Our plans are at seven, so we'll have plenty of time before then. You get out at three tomorrow, right? And I get out at four. Then we hit the stores!"

"Sure thing, Alya." Marinette rolled her eyes, knowing it was unlikely they would actually have time to shop. It seems she misjudged Alya's dedication to shopping, however, because she got home at four, as promised, and they hit the town.

"How about these earrings?" Alya gasped, pointing through the glass case. Marinette shrugged.

"Pearls won't match the dress. Plus, they're not your style."

"Yeah, you're right. Oooh, those are the same color as that dress!" She scampered off, and Marinette followed, glancing unexcitedly over the earrings. One problem about being poor and having good taste was that the cheap stuff almost never lived up to expectations.

When Alya had thrown down her dresses in frustration, Marinette remembered.

"Hey, I have this dress from a couple weeks ago. The order was cancelled, even though it was in perfect condition and there was nothing wrong with it…" Marinette had taken a breath, shoving away her irritation. "Anyways, it's got a good style, and it's about your size. I can do a quick modification, if you want."

"Is it that white one that's been laying around?" Alya had asked excitedly. Marinette nodded. "It's white and orange, with a bit of black. You would look good in it." And she was right. It was almost perfect for Alya, just a quick hem in the shoulders and it fit beautifully. Alya had gushed and gushed over the style, leaving a very pleased Marinette in her wake.

"What about these?" Alya held up the next pair of earrings. Marinette glanced up quickly, and raised an eyebrow.

"Too gaudy," she answered immediately. Alya huffed, placing them back onto the rack.

"You're too picky," Alya countered. Marinette rolled her eyes.

"You're too willing to buy everything you see. If I wasn't here, I'm sure you would've bought the pearls and those monstrosities. You should be happy you dragged me here."

"I'm definitely reconsidering, I'll tell you that."

"How about these?" Marinette pointed, and a worker came over and unlocked the glass case. Marinette turned the earrings over in her hands. They seemed sturdy and glittered prettily in the false lighting.

"Oooooh, I like it!" Alya grinned. Marinette returned the smile easily.

From there, Alya picked out cute little bracelets and hair clips, none of which she would wear to their outing. Marinette knew from experience.

"Okay," Alya announced as Marinette scanned the store, unimpressed. Everything was tacky and boring, copying many styles that are too many years old. "I'm done for tonight. Let's go get ready!"

"Are you gonna tell me who we're going with? You just said 'we aren't going alone', which doesn't make me feel very comfortable about any of this." Marinette flicked a tasteless feather hair band back onto the rack of baskets.

"Oh girl, trust me. You're gonna be the happiest person alive," Alya cackled.

"Wait, is this a double date?" Marinette gasped. Alya just laughed. "Alya, I don't want to date anyone!"

"Girl, please—"

"No, Alya. I don't have time for a relationship! This is such a bad idea, why didn't you tell me?"

"Okay, okay. Fine. If you feel _absolutely nothing_ for this guy tonight, then you can call it off immediately, okay? It's not set in stone, it's just a double date. Just give the poor boy a chance. Don't make him third wheel with Nino and I, you know first hand how uncomfortable that would be."

Marinette could admit, she had a point. Her arms crossed, and she huffed.

"Fine. One date. But it's more likely than not that it won't work out." They fell into a silence, and after a few minutes, Marinette caved. "Tell me about him," she huffed.

Alya tried to hide a cocky smile, but failed miserably. "He's a good friend of Nino's. He's handsome and sweet, really good personality. Pretty eyes," Alya sniggered, and Marinette furrowed her brows.

"Why are you laughing," Marinette asked cautiously.

"No reason, girl. Just picturing your face when you see him."

Marinette had that dangerous thought, the one she had been ignoring since she was told they "weren't going alone". Ignoring it felt like she was balancing on a high wire. Falling would cause the flood of dangerous thoughts she repressed to be released. She held on, pushing the thought away. It wasn't him. It wasn't.

"I better be starstruck," Marinette grumbled, and Alya stifled another laugh.

"Trust me, you will be."

* * *

Sabrina had messaged her.

She didn't understand why. It seemed so odd for her to finally be answering her ridiculous messages, sent drunk and sober. Why would she be responding after so long?

 _We should get coffee._

That was what the message read. Why would she want to get coffee? Why now? Why not three weeks ago, when she so desperately grasped the pill bottle, wondering if it was worth breaking that oath to Adrien? Where was Sabrina when she gazed longingly at the traffic in the road during rush hour, thinking about the relief of jumping in front of a moving car? Where was Sabrina when she couldn't stop herself from staring at the kitchen knives? Or the time she looked at the hiking equipment, eyes stuck on the ropes? When she looked at a bridge, thought of jumping? Where was Sabrina?

 _Working_ , Adrien had said. _Working and working and never resting_ , he said. _Managing three jobs is difficult_ , Adrien told her. _She has almost no free time_ , he reminded her. _No time for you._

She was here now, though. Maybe that was all she could manage. She knew Sabrina was a hard worker. She knew Sabrina was an entrepreneur, and she was trying to live her best life. Was Sabrina's best life one that didn't include her?

Based on the message, she doubted that was the case.

She shoved aside her pride, her spite, her anger, her betrayed heart. She did it for her mental health. She did it for herself.

Yes. Chloe messaged Sabrina back. Coffee sounds good.

* * *

Marinette walked into the entrance to the apartment building and bumped straight into Juleka.

"Juleka?" Marinette asked, puzzled. Juleka, to her knowledge, didn't live in this apartment building. Marinette was almost sure she never had, and didn't have plans to move in, either. So why was she here?

"Marinette," she greeted quietly. "Nice to see you again, Alya."

"Marinette?" A small, blonde head peeked past Juleka's shoulder, and Marinette's confusion grew.

"Rose?"

"Oh, it is you! How are you doing?" Rose's bubblegum voice grew louder as she pushed past Juleka's lanky frame to hug her. Marinette hugged her back, rather perplexed. She knew Rose's mother owned this building, but she had never seen Rose there before.

"What are you guys doing here?" Marinette asked as Alya introduced herself.

"Oh, girls! Welcome back!" Mme. Lavillant's voice came from the nearest doorway, and Marinette turned to see her head poking out into the hall. "Rose was finally introducing me to Juleka here! You think I'd have known my daughter's girlfriend before then, but I guess crazy schedules do cause for delays," Mme. Lavillant laughed. Juleka blushed a bit, and Marinette's mouth formed a little "o".

"How long have you two been going out and I didn't know about it?" Marinette demanded.

"Oh, do you know Juleka already?" Mme. Lavillant asked, eyes widening.

"We work together," Juleka explained.

"Oh! How lovely!" Mme. Lavillant exclaimed. "You girls should go out together sometime! I'm sure you'd all have a blast!"

"Actually, that would be a lovely idea!" Alya told her, smiling kindly. "But, we have to excuse ourselves. We have a double date tonight and we don't want to be late!" Alya said. Mme. Lavillant gasped knowingly.

"Of course, dears! We'll have to arrange that for a later date! You two have fun!" She called as Alya dragged Marinette upstairs. Marinette waved, barely moving her foot so she didn't trip on a step. She didn't miss Rose's frown as they left.

"Girl, did you even pick your dress yet?" Alya chided as they grabbed their stuff.

"I have two to decide between. Help me?"

Alya rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course."

* * *

Nino arrived at Adrien's apartment dressed in a light green button down and black slacks. A pair of aviators hung from his shirt, and his favorite sneakers covered his feet. He gave one glance at Adrien and laughed.

"Dude, you may have quit modeling, but you've definitely not lost your skill. Stop showing me up, man!"

Adrien didn't know what was so funny. He was dressed similarly to Nino, but with a white button down and black slacks. A black vest hugged his shoulders, and Adrien was in the process of rolling up his sleeves to counter the random heat wave. His shoes were dark and shiny, reflecting the setting sun through the window. A black watch rested against his wrist.

"Dude, it's just a double date. We're not going to Fashion Week in Paris!" Nino rolled his eyes. Adrien glanced down, confused at what was wrong, before Nino grabbed his collar and dragged him out the door.

As they started down the street, Adrien's thoughts started to wander.

"Hey, do you think Marinette would want to go to Fashion Week? I know she's a designer too, so I bet she'd love to go. And it'd be easy to get tickets because… why are you laughing?" he asked Nino, whose face was twisted as he attempted hide his giggles. He broke at Adrien's puzzled face.

"Dude!" Nino cackled. "You're going on a date tonight and you're still thinking about her? You're so screwed!"

Adrien's face turned red, and he looked into the street. "I just…"

Nino composed himself, barely. "Hey. If tonight doesn't work out, just ask her out! She'd go nuts if you took her to Fashion Week."

"I dunno man," Adrien shrugged. "I don't think she'd say yes to a date. Maybe if I just brought her as a friend."

"Adrien." Nino had stopped moving, looking at Adrien in disbelief. He put his hands on Adrien's shoulders and stared him in the eye. "Guys don't bring girls to Fashion Week as friends."

"Well, maybe I do."

"She's not dense. She'd understand your true intentions," Nino countered.

"What if my true intentions were to bring her as a friend?"

"I've never heard a bigger lie in my life, and I've heard Chloe claim she was done drinking. Just ask her out, dude!"

Adrien sighed, shrugging again. Nino rolled his eyes. They set off down the street again.

"You like her, it's obvious."

"Yeah."

"What do you like about her?"

Adrien smiled a bit. "She's kind. So kind, and sweet. She doesn't take shit from anyone, if the stories from Sabrina are true. She's selfless, and has a great sense of humor. She enjoys the same shows as me. I've never seen someone so motivated, or smart. Hell, to top it all off, she's gorgeous. I don't know, man. I don't want to risk losing our friendship if she says no."

"What if I told you there's no chance of that happening?" Nino asked after a second.

"She told me she didn't have time for a relationship between her jobs."

"Oh. She did?"

"She implied it."

"Oh, shut up man. She was probably talking about that one weird guy she talked to at work. Ask her out, you won't regret it."

Adrien hummed, looking at the sun set. He wondered if that was true.

Ding!

Adrien pulled his phone from his pocket.

Message From: Rose Lavillant

 _Hey did you know Marinette's going on a date tonight? I just saw her and she said she was going on a date with her friend._

He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"I think I would."

* * *

"It's getting hot in here~" Alya sang as Marinette stripped to change into her dress. "So take off all your clothes~"

"Alya!" Marinette laughed. She slipped on her red dress, decorated with black polka dots. It was casual, with a slim bodice, short sleeves and a loosely hanging skirt. The pattern was where she got the name for her online shop.

"Ohhh, scandalous neckline!"

Marinette chuckled, reaching behind her and zipping up the dress. Alya finished, pulling the zipper past the part Marinette couldn't reach.

"A scoop neckline is hardly scandalous," Marinette rolled her eyes, slipping on a pair of black wedges, elevating her a few inches taller. Alya grabbed her heels, balancing the straps on one finger as she sashayed through their apartment, searching for her mascara.

"Here!" Marinette called, tossing it to her. Alya fumbled, but managed to keep the makeup in her hands.

"Now where's my phone?" Alya muttered.

"By the sink," Marinette responded offhandedly.

"Oh, shit!" Alya shouted. Marinette peeked out of the bedroom, fastening an earring to her ear.

"What?"

"We're running way too late! Grab your bag! Finish your makeup on the way!" she threw Marinette her lipstick, and shoved her heels onto her feet. Marinette grabbed her bag and shoved the lipstick inside, making sure she had her phone and wallet. They burst through their door, giving their neighbor quite the scare. Marinette raced to the stairs, feeling her feet wobble as she careened down them.

"Marinette, careful!" Alya called behind her. Marinette scoffed.

"I'm totally fine, Alya!" she responded, right before she tripped and fell down the stairs.

* * *

As they approached the restaurant—a rather nice one, Adrien noted—Nino's phone dinged.

He blinked, and pulled out his phone. His face contorted, going from confused, to worried, to surprised, to laughing. Adrien waited.

"Well, it seems your date fell down the stairs as they were rushing to leave—don't worry," he reassured as Adrien's face worried itself, "she's fine. Remembers her name and everything." Nino chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Once you get to know this girl, you'll understand," Nino coughed out the rest of his laughs. Adrien rolled his eyes, but his thoughts wandered again.

 _Marinette's clumsy like that…_

* * *

Alya dragged Marinette—slowly now, because of her hurt leg—into the doors of the restaurant. Marinette looked around, wondering where Nino and her date were.

"We had a reservation," Alya told the hostess, "Lahiffe?"

"Ah, yes! Right this way. The rest of your party is already here." The hostess gestured to another waitress, who smiled and led them through the maze of tables.

"This is nice," Marinette commented, limping slightly and cradling her arm a bit, covering up the scrape on her elbow. "How'd you manage to snag this?"

"Nino and I have been meaning to get here for a while, but why experience it alone when we can share the experience with friends?" Alya winked at her as they rounded a corner. Nino caught her eye, and smiled, winking and standing up. His friend did too, and Marinette narrowed her eyes. She knew the back of that head. He turned around, and both of their faces went slack.

* * *

Adrien was making small talk with Nino when his face lit up, smiling and standing. Adrien assumed their dates had arrived. He stood, hearing a small gasp behind him. _Great_ , he thought. _She recognizes the model, Adrien Agreste._

He turned, and froze. She recognized him all right.

* * *

Their eyes met.

Hearts stopped.

Blood froze.

Lungs collapsed.

Knees weakened.

Faces flushed.

Lips tingled.

 _Fireworks_.

* * *

Marinette's eyes darted between Alya and Nino, who shared knowing smirks as they greeted each other. She glanced back at Adrien. She smiled nervously.

He relaxed, taking a few steps forward to greet her.

"Hi," he said, smile creeping on his face.

"H-hi."

"Fancy seeing you here," Adrien gazed down at her. "You look beautiful,"

"O-oh." Marinette swallowed, blushing slightly. "Thank you. You look great too," she shifted on her feet, and Adrien's eyes widened.

"Right! Holy shit! Marinette, are you okay? Nino said you fell, but I didn't realize it was you at the time, and—!"

"Adrien," she laughed softly, placing an arm on his bicep. "I'm fine."

Adrien didn't miss the red scrapes on her arm, or her slight limp as they walked to the table together. Adrien pulled out her chair for her like a gentleman, and she laughed, shoving him slightly. He chuckled, helping her into her seat and sitting next to her. Once, seated, Marinette reached forward and flicked Alya's forehead. The brown girl wrinkled her brow.

"Why would you do that?" Alya asked.

"Was it really necessary to keep my date's identity a secret?" Marinette deadpanned, wincing slightly when her arm rested oddly on the table. Adrien's brow furrowed, but one glance from her made him look away.

"Yeah, I agree. It's not like I was gonna stand her up or anything," Adrien added. Nino rolled his eyes.

"You both would've been freaking out for the entire week if we told you. At least this way you can be yourselves, right?"

Adrien shrugged, and Marinette looked to the ceiling, purposefully avoiding everyone's gaze. Adrien turned to the darker girl.

"Nice to finally meet you, Alya. I've heard a lot about you," he told her, smiling kindly. Alya laughed.

"Oh, Adrien, between these two and the stories they've told me, I'm surprised you're not glowing with heavenly light!"

Adrien laughed loudly, and Marinette blushed hard, Nino rolling his eyes.

"But, yes. It's nice to meet the man who steals my boyfriend from me and sneaks my best friend to dark corners where no one knows what they do."

"Ritual sacrifices," Adrien answered immediately. Marinette and Alya both laughed, and Nino made a face.

"Dude, c'mon. At least tell us the deets!"

"Keep talking like that, Nino, and you're the next sacrifice," Marinette managed to say with a straight face, before making eye contact with Alya and laughing again. Adrien grinned widely.

Their waiter came, and they ordered drinks, finally pulling out their menus and glancing over them.

"Oh!" Alya exclaimed, pushing her menu farther into the table. All three of them looked at her as she pulled out her phone. "Did you guys see that video? The one with the two people saving that family from being run over?"

Marinette shared a glance with Adrien. She couldn't be talking about that, could she?

"What are you talking about?" Nino asked.

"You'll see!" Alya gleefully grinned. She flipped her phone around, and pressed play.

The view was grainy, from someone's phone. The camera shook as the person adjustd their hands and zoomed in on a familiar toddler who screamed, red-faced. The father struggled to move his child off the crosswalk.

The boy's face pinched and turned even redder as he pulled and pulled against his father's slipping hands.

" _Look at this little brat,_ " Someone snickered offscreen. " _This is why I don't want kids._ "

The street was currently empty, so the child seemed to be in little danger. The father grasped for the child's arm again, and the boy screamed loudly.

The light turned green.

The boy slipped away from his father.

" _Oh, that's not good,_ " the person holding the phone muttered, following the kid with the camera.

And as if on cue, the roar of a supercharged engine blasted from the speakers on Alya's phone. She winced and turned it down slightly.

The camera jostled again, and Marinette watched herself leap into view, grabbing the small boy as someone else pulled the father to the other side of the street. The purple and orange car zipped past, pulling her back slightly from the force of the wind. She forced herself forward, stumbling onto the sidewalk as people made room for her arrival. The kid was still screaming.

" _Yo, is she alright?_ " Someone asked, pushing forward through the crowd. Police sirens approached from behind the camera.

"That's basically it," Alya said, going to pull her phone back. Nino stopped her, peering intensely at the screen.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said, angling the phone back to them. All four watched as the woman looked up, and Marinette's face looked into the camera, looking around at her surroundings for the father.

Marinette felt Nino and Alya slowly look up at her. She grinned nervously.

"You didn't tell us you saved someone's life, Marinette," Alya started, face flashing through different emotions. Nino glanced back at the screen, and let out a laugh of disbelief.

"Apparently, it wasn't just Marinette," he pointed to the screen, and Alya stopped just in time as Adrien's face turned toward the camera.

"O-oh, yeah!" Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "T-that was me…"

"Yeah… me too." Marinette sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alya demanded. Nino nodded in agreement.

"I-I dunno! I got distracted!" Marinette defended, before realizing what she was insinuating. A blush overcame her and Adrien's face. Alya narrowed her eyes, glancing between the two of them.

She sighed. "I'm impressed, but just surprised you didn't tell me you saved this kid's life."

"Yeah, guys. I would've believed the "I was saving a kid's life" story more than the "I didn't impregnate Marinette" story." Nino told them. Marinette squeaked, Adrien started choking on his water, and Alya's mouth fell open.

"You _what_?" Her hands slammed on the table, and the nearby diners looked over, concerned.

"No! No, Nino's making a bad joke. A bad, _bad_ joke." Adrien said through his teeth, glaring at Nino. Marinette took in a deep breath, refilling her lungs before she blacked out.

"Not funny, Nino," she managed.

Nino smiled evilly, "You seemed nervous, Marinette. Care to explain why?"

"Care to explain why Alya can't find half of her bras anymore?" Marinette asked sweetly. It was Alya's turn to choke on water, and Nino flushed a bright red.

"That's my girl," Adrien mutter, sending her a wink. Marinette grinned back.

Their waiter came back. They placed the group's drinks on the table. "Ready to order?"

* * *

"Dude, I'm telling you! You gotta listen to DJ Bubbler!" Adrien told Nino excitedly.

"Meh, maybe."

"I've already made him listen to a couple songs," Alya reassured Adrien.

"They were okay."

"Nino, shut up!" Alya laughed, shoving his shoulder. She bit into her food again, munching and saying, "—ino ith beree aganth twyin nu thins."

"Oh my god, Alya," Marinette laughed. "I have no idea what you just said."

Alya swallowed, "I said 'Nino is very against trying new things'."

Adrien snorted. "That's true. He didn't want to change his haircut when we were younger because he thought he only looked good with the haircut he had."

"And he doesn't want to hire anyone new at Busy Beans because he's too used to his crew," Marinette added.

"Wow, is this make fun of Nino day? Because you all suck."

"Sorry, Nino," Alya said, not sounding sorry at all. Nino rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are."

"Is everything okay tonight?" Their waiter asked.

"Yep. Can we get the check?"

"Of course," the waiter walked away and returned. Adrien went for his wallet, making sure Marinette was distracted. Alya pointed to a painting on the wall, waiting for Marinette to turn around and look, before winking at Adrien. He grinned, handing his card to Nino for the check.

"Wait," Marinette said, looking over at what Nino was doing.

"Marinette, bathroom?" Alya asked, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of her seat.

Marinette's brow furrowed. "You didn't even give me a choice!"

"You would've said yes anyways, let's go!" Adrien watched her drag Marinette away.

"Alya's good at that," Adrien commented.

"Yeah, we've thrown a couple surprise parties for Marinette, so Alya's the dedicated 'distraction'." Nino told him. Adrien nodded, glancing behind him. Marinette and Alya were long gone.

"So, have a fun date?"

"I hate you."

"Liar," Nino laughed. "You're happy I'm your best friend, who is willing to secretly set you up with your crush on a date."

"Yeah yeah… Thanks man."

"It was nothing, bro."

"Ready to go?" Alya asked, grabbing her bag.

"You all suck," Marinette declared as she snatched up her purse. She clearly understood what happened. Adrien smiled cheekily.

"You still love us," Alya teased. Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, you're lucky I do."

Adrien tried not to take that too seriously, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't smile wider. He stood and offered his arm to Marinette, remembering her leg and arm. She chuckled at the gesture, but took his arm nonetheless.

They exited the restaurant, and Alya turned to them from Nino's side.

"Nino and I are heading to his place to watch this movie. Adrien, do you mind making sure she gets home okay? I know she didn't hit her head, but I'm still worried about her leg and—"

"Of course," Adrien cut her off. He sent a smile at Marinette, and she returned it. They set off in different directions, but Adrien didn't miss the wink Alya sent him.

"I can't believe we got set up," Marinette told him. He laughed.

"Yeah, Nino was really secretive about who my date was. It was sorta funny, actually. He almost slipped up a couple times, and made up these crazy sentences to cover it up."

Marinette smiled. "That sounds like Nino."

They fell into a silence, comfortable but empty.

"Did you make your dress?" Adrien asked at last.

"I did. Alya's too."

"It's incredible. I wish you made my clothing instead of Gabriel," he winked at her. She giggled.

"If you want me to, I could."

"Oh, no no. I know you have a lot of order from your online shop and—"

"Adrien," she cut him off. "What would you have me make, hypothetically?"

He grinned, "A cat hoodie."

She made a sound in understanding. "Right. I forgot you're a furry."

"Marinette!" He laughed, and she joined in. "I'm not a furry!"

"Okay, 'Chat Noir'."

"I can't like cats?"

"You can like cats," Marinette explained, trying to hide the grin on her face. "But when you want to be a cat, that's when it gets weird."

"I don't want to be a cat!" He exclaimed.

"No, you're just calling yourself one!" she replied cheekily. He laughed harder, and she did too, trying to compose herself but failing miserably.

"Okay, okay!" He told her through his laughs. He grabbed her shoulders gently, shaking her slightly as calmed down.

"Did you know you have the cutest dimples?" Marinette found herself saying. Adrien smiled proudly.

"I did. I'm very proud of them, too."

"Nerd."

"Dork."

They fell into a silence again.

"Tonight was a lot of fun," Marinette said as they approached her apartment building.

"I'm glad you agree." He held the door open for her and helped her inside. They approached the stairs, and Marinette carefully made her way up them, Adrien watching her every move closely. At one point she stumbled, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her back press into his chest. She breathed out, and his eyes caught her lips. She didn't notice, steadlying herself and continuing upward. They walked quietly to her apartment, and Marinette stopped a few feet from her door. Adrien turned to look at her, and felt her hand slip into his. She took a step forward, looking into his eyes deeply.

"Thank you for calling that first time," Marinette murmured.

"N-no problem." He cleared his throat. His eyes jumped to her lips quickly, before going back to her blue eyes guiltily. Her lashes were long over her eyes. Her lips were pink and perfect.

"Was this a date or a friendly outing?" Marinette asked, and he could sense her nervousness. He smiled softly.

"I'd like it to be a date, but—"

"No buts," she shushed him, leaning in slightly more. "It's a date."

He hummed in agreement, leaning a bit closer. Her breath, hot and sweet, washed over his face, and he could smell a sweet vanilla perfume. They both leaned closer, but not close enough. Adrien's hand slipped onto her waist, the other still holding her hand. Their noses bumped a bit, and Adrien could see her freckles now, close enough that they weren't invisible to his eyes. Her chest presses lightly to his, and Adrien could tell she was struggling to control her breath. He looked at her eyes, and they were fluttering open and closed. He slid his eyes shut, moving forward finally.

They met in the middle, and Adrien noticed she tasted like vanilla and sugar. Her lips were soft, and he felt her push closer, her hand sliding up his chest and the other gripping his collar. His hands slipped around her back, one resting on her waist. There were no coffees to be wary of, no pizzas to burn in an oven. Just her and him.

The kiss wasn't too long, but definitely was too short. They seperated quietly, not pulling away but not reconnecting. Marinette laughed a quick breath, her lips quirking up. Adrien copied her.

"Thank you," she breathed quietly.

"Of course," he responded breathlessly. "Do you wanna go out again sometime?"

She laughed a bit. "Yes, Adrien. I'd like that."

"It's a date." He said, failing to keep the smile off his face.

"It's a date," she repeated.

Adrien kissed her again, feeling his lips curl against hers. She hummed contentedly, tilting her head.

They kissed a lot, both struggling to no avail to keep smiles off their lips. Eventually, they heard people heading up the stairs, and Marinette herded herself into her apartment, kissing him one last time.

She licked her lips quickly, winking and saying, "You taste good, Adrien," before pulling into her apartment and shutting the door. Adrien laughed loudly, ignoring the strange looks he got from the other tenants. He went down the stairs, a skip in his step.

Adrien left the apartment building, feeling truly happy for the first time in too long.

* * *

 **A Fun Epilogue:**

Marinette, with the help of Adrien's connections, and Alya's advertisement, was able to open up her own boutique. Paris fell in love with her unique designs.

Adrien used his free time to go to night classes at the nearby college. He studied hard and got a degree in education. For someone who was homeschooled, he sure is a great public school teacher.

Nino kept his identity as DJ Bubbler a secret, but continued making more and more money off his albums. When he's older, he claims he would like to reveal himself as DJ Bubbler, but for now he's happy to be a secret. He was able to buy a nice home with Alya, where they "settled down" (Nino knows nothing will ever be settled when he's with Alya, but that's one of the things he loves about her).

Alya's blog became bigger and bigger, and she eventually pitched an idea to a cartoon company. She is now the proud director of her own animated cartoon, and owner of the Ladyblog, the blog all about her show.

Chloe had started with coffee, then onto soda, then juice, then water. She sobered up, with the help of Sabrina and her trusty therapist. She's living large, doing something she's always been good at: voice acting in a popular cartoon, directed by Alya Cesaire. She's never been more loved by the public. The tabloids are still filled with her name, but it's no longer something to be ashamed of.

Juleka and Rose got married two years after their first date. They adopted a small boy named Marc and are raising in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of Paris's busy streets.

Paris Fashion Week was chaotic as hell. Marinette would claim it to be the best week of her life, however. The author sorta wants to write a story about that, but the author is also super busy so we will see. Let her know what you think.

The first time Adrien met Marinette's parents, they piled his arms full of pastries. He couldn't see over the mound of croissants, and he had never felt happier.

The first time Marinette met Gabriel Agreste, she had to physically restrain herself from kicking him in the balls. She settled for dumping her scalding coffee over his red pants "on accident".

Marinette never stopped being clumsy, but Adrien became very good at catching her. Many Parisian will claim being a witness to Adrien Agreste catching his girlfriend in public.

Nino accidentally published an unedited album with filler titles for his songs, including: "tHiS bAsS dRoP iS bItChIn BiTcH", "Attack Beaver in a Mailbox", "no alya you do the dishes", "My Life Hasn't Been The Same Since Friends Ended", "*evil laughter*", "My blanket smells like feet but it's on my head", and "FUCK I BROKE MY PHONE". It's his most popular album.

Alya has been messaged constantly after the release of the album. Everyone wants to know if she knows the famous DJ Bubbler. She laughs and tells them "if I knew him, you would too."

Marinette visited Slice Guy's frequently, quickly being accepted into the family. Someone jokingly put her picture in the "Employee of the Month" picture frame, and it's been there ever since. The title now reads "Best Not-Employee We've Ever Had". Everyone assumed Alix did it, but it was actually Sabrina.

Alya found herself in more precarious situations with every new story she chased for her journalist career. One of her favorite stories to tell is "The time I got stuck upside down with my head inside a sewer and my feet being sniffed by a bear". Many people do not believe her, until Marinette backs her claim up with the ever famous "I had to pull her out with the bear's help" quote.

Adrien and Marinette moved in together after eight months of dating, ten months of knowing each other. Adrien's depression and self harm hadn't been a problem since they started dating. Marinette's stress was considerable eased with Adrien around. Adrien can confidently say he's happier than he's ever been, and Marinette can happily say she's calmer than ever.

The day of their wedding, Adrien will claim after the kiss that tied their lives together, he heard Marinette whisper "you taste good". Marinette denies this accusation.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap!**

 **Thank you to everyone who left a message down below! You're the best!**

 **Thank you to everyone who liked this story! You're the best!**

 **Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story! You're the best!**

 **This originally was supposed to be a oneshot, something I never thought would go this far or touch as many people as it did. I am so grateful and glad that everyone here joined together as a community and followed along, raising this story to places I never expected. I thank you for that.**

 **This was definitely an experience I will remember. Writing this fanfiction was fun, and I felt like I was writing this for myself, unlike so many stories I've written before. Writing for yourself really is something that everyone should try. It was an experience I believe should be shared with the world.**

 **But thank you for taking the time fore reading this story, and sticking with me through the hardships of me not updating. It truly meant the world to me. I'm so glad people enjoyed this story as much as I did.**

 **Feel free to leave a last comment, or review! I will continue to answer them, even when the story is done!**

 **Also let me know if you would be interested in a Fashion Week Sequel to this story! I can't promise I will write it, but encouragement to write it would definitely be a deciding factor!**

 **Thank you for all the dedication! I'll see you in another story!**

 **~Ani**


	7. Sequel is up!

Hi! I just wanted to let you all know that the sequel to this story is up! It's called _Trompe L'oeil: Fashion Week_ , and you can find it on my profile!

Let me know what you think of it! Thanks!

~Ani


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